Pirates In Love: The Novella
by Sevenity
Summary: Who doesn't like themselves a good harem? You know what they look like, you know who they are. Here are the tantalizing words that'll bring you from rosy cheeks to tomato red. This spritely game is put into novel form with a new main character that has a rich backstory, and a personality that is just irresistible to the Sirius Pirates.
1. Prologue

"Mmmm…"

I stretched a little in bed. Not too much as I'd hit my head if laid all out in this attic. The sun wasn't even up yet and moonlight still shone through my window. It was a tiny room with slanted ceilings. I was literally living in the roof. There was enough room for a small cot, a chest for my clothes, and a small table for the few things I had. A comb, a few elastics, a nail clipper, and a small tarnished necklace. It was important as a baker to keep my nails short. Ducking my head I threw open the trapdoor in the floor and descended down the ladder. I got myself ready for another day in the bakery. _Blouse, skirt, shoes, apron, and - ah yes! - my baker's cap._ Just as I was entering the kitchen I saw the chef, Charlie, in the hallway.

"Good morning!" I said cheerfully.  
"My, you're in a good mood this mornin'," he said tiredly, rubbing his weary eyes.  
"Of course I am! It's my birthday."  
Charlie looked surprised.  
I giggled, "You forgot again, didn't ya?"  
"Hah," he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry Alex."  
"It's okay!"

I started prepping in the kitchen while Charlie got ready. It was bigger than my room of course, but the kitchen was also small. We ran a small bakery in a village just outside of the main city, Yamato. Oh! I mean Charlie runs the bakery. I simply work for him so that I can have a place to stay _. Okay, first thing is to make the bread dough and get that proofing… then I can start on the sweets!_ In the middle of my prep Charlie popped his head in.

"Hey, I'm heading out now."  
"Oh yeah! Of course."  
"Bye now."  
"Bye!"

Charlie had some business to take care of in the city. He said yesterday that he should be back by the time we open the bakery. It never got really busy until the afternoon anyway, so I wasn't worried if he was a little late. I looked out the only window in the kitchen. The sun was almost fully visible on the horizon. _Ah, I'd better hurry!_ I popped the bread into the oven.

I finished up putting all the baked goods and pastries onto the bakery shelves. _I think I'm actually done early!_ I went out the side door to check on the sundial outside. _I even have time to make myself some breakfast!_ I cooked up a couple of eggs and some toast. _Yes, today is going to be a good day. Other than my birthday happening, I don't expect to do anything special today, but I have a good feeling!_ I could hear birds chirping to the rise of the sun and seagulls beginning their annoying sqwaks. If you listened closely, you could hear the waves lapping against the shore. It was very nice living in a portside village. You could see around you for miles. Even though the sea wasn't visible from my little bakery, it still felt close by. I opened the windows and breathed in the salty air.

Just then there was banging on the bakery door, interrupting my breakfast. _Oh, who could need bread this damn early?_ I peered through the curtains out the door's windows.

"Sorry, we're not open yet!"

I really wanted to finish my breakfast, and Charlie wasn't here to boss me around and let customers in.

"Oi, Charlie! I know y'ar in there!" A man yelled. He banged on the door again.  
"Um… Charlie isn't here!"  
"Yer lyin'!" _Another man's voice!_

They hammered on the door even harder. _Oh no, they sound angry_.

"He - He's not here! I swear! He went into the -"

BOOM!

The door was knocked off its hinges and I got thrown back. Two men stepped in, looking very rough and tough. One was bigger than the other. The bigger one slammed a fist into the palm of his hand as if ready to fight. _Oh, this isn't good. They're so scary!_

"Where's Charlie? Son of a bitch owes us money." The smaller one said  
"He's not here!"  
"Quit sayin' that!" The big one grabbed the front of my shirt and lifted me into the air.  
"Aah! Please don't hurt me."  
"Tell us where Charlie is and maybe we won't." The smaller one said.

 _M-maybe?_ I didn't really have a choice, so I told them where Charlie went.

"He's not here, he went into the city!."  
"Yer lyin'. He's hidin' here somewhere, ain't he, tha' coward." The big one said. The smaller one started to look around the bakery, knocking over tables and tossing bread everywhere.

"Let's take 'er with us. Maybe we can bait 'im out." The bigger one leered at me with malicious eyes. "Come on!" He threw away my cap, grabbed me by my hair and dragged me out.

"No! Please don't!" He was pulling so hard I thought all my hair would be pulled out. Tears started to form in my eyes.

"I'd listen t' the lil lady."

A man in rugged dress with blonde spiky hair held a sword to the big man's throat. He held another sword casually by his side.

"What's an ugly guy like ya want with a woman anyway?" The blonde asked.  
"Who you callin' ugly?!"  
"Bugger off!" The small one stomped out of the bakery. "This ain't none of your business."  
"... What kinda bakery is this?" Another man dressed in the same fashion as the blonde with a bandana on his head walked up. "Causin' trouble again Russell?"  
"Hey! This time it ain't ma fault!"

Suddenly the big man let go of me and charged at the one called Russell.

"Ha! Yer gon regret this!" Russell yelled with a smile on his face.

BAM!

He knocked down the big guy with one swing! These new guys are even scarier and stronger!

"Hey you." The one with the bandana looked at me as he drew out a sickle sword with a chain attached. "Get outta here, it's not safe."

The smaller guy lunged at bandana man.

CLANG!

"I said go!" He yelled again.  
"Eeep!" I yelped and started running.

I ran down the main road which led straight to the port outside of Yamato. _I don't even know where to run to!_ My heart was pounding and my breathing was laboured. I couldn't think straight. _Will I even make it to a safe place?_

"There she is! Git her!"

I turned around. The two men had caught up to me! Did they beat Russell and the other guy already? I ran through some side streets and somehow ended up on the docks. There was nowhere to hide except behind crates and barrels… or in a barrel! Before I could second guess myself, I jumped in a barrel and secured a lid over me.

"Damn, where is she?!"  
"Get back 'ere you lil cunt!"

Their yelling faded into the distance. I sighed. My heart was still going crazy and I needed to catch my breath. _I'll stay in here until I can run again. Oh, Charlie is going to be so mad at me! But why did he owe those guys money?_

THWUMP.

Suddenly I was sideways and tumbling around like laundry in a hand-spun dryer. _Ouch! Oo, ow!_ I was about to yell out to whoever was rolling the barrel when it went over a large bump. I hit my head and lost consciousness…

SCRUNCH.

A loud noise above me startled me awake, like a crate was dragged off the top of the barrel. _It's so dark! Where am I? Oh right. A barrel. Oh no, it got moved. Where AM I?_ I heard a muffled voice.

"I think this one has some booze!"

The lid to the barrel came off and light streamed in. I blinked wearily. A young boy's face slowly came into focus.

"Huh? You're not booze…" He started to panic. "Oh no, I took a lady instead of a barrel of booze! Captain is going to be so mad at me."  
"What's taking so long?" A man with dark hair and an eye patch came into view. "Hm? What's this…"  
"Eduardo! Ah, please don't be mad…"

Eduardo grabbed me by the back of my shirt and lifted me out of the barrel.

Eduardo - "Ha, who knew you could turn booze into women, Thomas."  
Thomas - "I didn't! I found her here. I don't know how she got on board!"

Eduardo grabbed me by my arm and started to drag me up stairs. Strangely the ground kept swaying underneath me. I stumbled.

Eduardo - "What, you can't walk on your own? Stand up. I'm bringing you to the Captain."

 _The Captain?! Are we on a ship? Who are these people?_ My heart started pounding again. _This is the end for me!_

When we came up from the stairs, I immediately felt a cool breeze on my face. Looking up I saw dingy white sails and a starry night sky. The edges of the world kept bobbing up and down. _Oh! I am on a boat. That's why it's swaying. What a strange sensation._ I had never been on a boat before. It was dark, so I could barely see, but it appeared to be a large boat. Crates and barrels were piled about with coils of rope here and there, and some hanging from the masts. The breeze whipped the sails gently, making soft ruffled sounds. It was quiet except for the sound of men's voices. Eduardo dragged me to the group of men sitting on crates on the deck. Thomas followed behind us with his head hanging. A few lanterns in the middle of the group illuminated their faces. They all had mugs in their hands and were laughing until I came up to them. _Hmmm… those two look familiar._

Eduardo - "Cap, we have a problem."  
Captain - "Hm? What's that?" A man with an embellished Captain's hat and a goatee looked up.  
Eduardo - "We've got a stowaway here. And a woman at that."

Everyone stopped drinking and looked at me. I gulped. They were all dressed roughly and looked like… looked like… Pirates!... But very handsome pirates. _Since when are pirates attractive? And all on the same boat, too!_

Everyone started to yell out all at once.

"A woman?!"  
"No women on th' boat!"  
"I say we throw her overboard."  
"This is no place for a lady…"  
"Let's shove 'er off!"  
"That's not a way to treat a girl!"  
"... Maybe a lady on board would be nice." Captain said, stroking his chin and looking at me sensually. Everyone quieted down.

"Really Cap?" Russell said. _Oh, Russell!_

"It's you!" I belted. I immediately covered my mouth. Everyone stared at me. "Um, you… R-Russell is it? You and uh, him. You both saved me back at the bakery from those guys…"

Russell gave me a blank stare. "I don' rememba ya."  
Bandana man - "I do."  
Russell - "Tch."

The Captain smiled. "See? You're even already acquainted! Welcome aboard, um… What's your name, girl?"  
"... My name's Alex."  
Russell - "Alex? What kinda name is that fer a woman."  
"Russell, don't be rude." A dark skinned man chided him.  
Russell - "Women don' belong on a boat full o' pirates!"

 _Oh dear, they really are pirates. Plundering, murderous, thieving, devilishly handsome pirates… What am I thinking?_ I shook my head. Eduardo looked at me.

Eduardo - "What, you don't want to be here?" He shoved me to the railing of the ship. "Go ahead and swim with the sharks." He smirked.

 _How mean!_ "No! I don't want to go overboard."

I looked out at the water lapping the side of the ship. It looked so rough and tumultuous from up here. I started to get nauseous. _Ooooh… I don't feel so good._ I gripped the railing simply hoping I wouldn't faint and fall into the sea.

Captain - "It's settled then! Thomas, find her a spare cot in that den of yours."  
Thomas - "Me? Uh, yes sir!"  
Russell - "Cap, you can't be ser-"  
Captain - "Captain's orders!" He looked at me slyly. "Welcome to the Sirius crew, girl!"

I looked at all the faces of my new shipmates. _Shit… this isn't how I wanted my day to go! What a terrible birthday._


	2. Chapter 2

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Captain - "It's settled then! Thomas, find her a spare cot in that den of yours."  
Thomas - "Me? Uh, yes sir!"  
Russell - "Cap, you can't be ser-"  
Captain - "Captain's orders!" He looked at me slyly. "Welcome to the Sirius crew, girl!"

I looked at all the faces of my new shipmates. _Shit… this isn't how I wanted my day to go! What a terrible birthday._

* * *

Thomas - "Miss Alex."

Still clutching the railing, I barely managed to turn around without falling over. My head was spinning as much as the ship was rolling.

Thomas - "If you follow me I'll show you where you can sleep. You must be tired after being in a barrel all day!"  
Alex - "Um, thank you."

I really wasn't sure if I could walk. The seasickness was getting worse. I tried anyway.

WUMPF.

I bumped into Thomas and gripped his arm. It was firm and strong even though he was the smallest amongst them.

Thomas - "Miss Alex! Are you okay?"  
Captain - "You two keep your hands off each other, eh? Captain always gets first shot." Captain waggled his finger at us drunkenly.  
Thomas - "Oh, yes, Captain!"  
Alex - _Yes Captain? Those are the rules around here?  
_ Thomas - "Er, do you need help… Miss Alex?"  
Alex - "I wouldn't mind a… hand. I'm feeling… rather dizzy."  
Thomas - "Ah, um, okay!"

Thomas took my hand and led me back downstairs where the barrels and crates were. He wouldn't look back at me, but I swore I saw his cheeks were flushed. Then again, I was woozy. Who knows what I was seeing? He led me to the back where it was quite dark.

CLICK.

Thomas turned a lamp on. I squinted for a second from the sudden light. Even though there were lanterns outside, the ocean was so dark. It took a while for my eyes to adjust… I saw a cot similar to mine in the corner, a small chest of drawers, a couple round tables, and a small mirror propped up on the dresser.

Thomas - "There we go! I think we've got an old cot here somewhere…"

Thomas started to rummage in the storage. CLINK. CLANG. SCRRRCH. BONK.

Thomas - "Oh! Ouch." He emerged from the pile with a limp mattress, rubbing his head. "Here you go! It's kind of old and dusty… Might be able to clean it off."  
Alex - "Oh, did you hurt your head?" I asked as I reached out to touch the bump on his head.  
He tensed up and immediately blurted, "It's fine! Take my bed Miss Alex!" He dropped the mattress and started moving crates together. "I'll take this one. It's not good enough for a lady."  
Alex - "A-are you sure? I'd feel bad, taking your bed."  
Thomas smiled. "It's okay, I'll be fine like this. I've slept on worse!" He rummaged for a thin blanket and settled onto the lumpy mattress. "Good night Miss Alex!"  
Alex - "Good night…" _Maybe they're not all bad? Thomas is nice…_

Despite having the more comfortable bed I couldn't sleep. I was still nauseous and feverish, and my stomach churned all night. _Oh, when will this seasickness go away?_ I didn't get any sleep.

* * *

I couldn't get up early like I usually did in the bakery. It was just too much. The seasickness, the ground that never stopped moving, being trapped on a ship with pirates. I was scared and feeling awful, there was no way I could naturally wake up in this condition. Which was my mistake. I woke up to a cool feeling on my cheek. It slowly slid down my neck and felt… sharp? I opened my eyes to see bandana man with his sickle sword up against my throat.

Alex - "Aaah! What the hell?"  
Bandana man - "You're late."  
Alex - "For what?"  
Bandana man - "Breakfast. Come to the mess hall… and put some clothes on."  
Alex - "Oh!" I dragged the sheets up.

I had gotten hot during the night and took off my skirt and blouse, so I had only my panties and undershirt on. Bandana man didn't seem to care though. _Are they used to this kind of stuff? Also, what is his name?_

Alex - "Um, excuse me!" I called out before he went up the stairs. He simply turned his head towards me. "Um, what's your name?"  
Bandana man - "... Nathan." And with that he left.

 _A man of few words…_

I put my clothes back on and joined the rest of the crew in the mess hall. I hadn't been outside yet, but already it was louder than last night. I could hear the waves and the wind had picked up. It was whistling between the sails. I entered a room to find the crew sitting at a long table. I looked out the large windows all around the mess hall. It made me nauseous. Nathan had returned behind the bar where the kitchen was. There was an opening where you could see through, but it was partially covered by an accordion door. I looked at all the food on the table. _This is how they eat? It's like a feast!_ The food smelled delicious, but at the same time it made me nauseous. I couldn't imagine eating right now, still feeling seasick. Nathan looked at me from behind the bar.

Nathan - "Sit."

I quickly sat down at the end next to Thomas.

Captain - "How was your night, girl?" He said with a twinkle in his eye.  
Eduardo smiled and shook his head. "Hope you didn't go against Captain's word, Thomas."  
Thomas - "O-of course not!"

I hardly paid attention to their teasing. I stared down at my hands trying not to spill the contents of my stomach onto the table. TUNK. I looked up to see Nathan looming over me.

Nathan - "Eat."

He made me tamagoyaki with a side of miso soup and some natto and nori. _They have all this food on a ship?_ _It looks so good…_ My stomach grumbled. Nathan crossed his arms and just stood there, staring at me.

Dark skinned man - "You better eat up. Nathan hates it when we don't eat his food."

I really wanted to eat it, it looked so good, but there was no way I was going to be able to keep it down.

Alex - "Excuse me!"

I stood up abruptly and ran out onto the deck. I ran right up to the railing and lurched over. My mouth was open and my stomach was rolling, but nothing came out. _That's right, I haven't eaten since yesterday morning! And that wasn't even a full breakfast._ I had nothing in my stomach to throw up. I was a little relieved. It wasn't very lady like to throw up over the side of a boat.

Eduardo - "You're not much of a lady, are you?"

I couldn't respond. I could only gurgle a little and hang on the railing like a rag doll. Eduardo picked me up by my shirt and looked at me. My eyes were swirling. He looked very disappointed. Next thing I knew I was launched through the air. _Oh no! He's really throwing me overboard!_

I landed in someone's arms. It was the dark skinned man.

Eduardo - "Doc, you take care of her. You seem to be even more fond of her than Thomas."  
Doc - "You can't toss women around like that, Eduardo."  
Eduardo - "Hmph."

Eduardo went back to the mess hall and I felt myself being carried off by Doc. I passed out from the nausea before I knew where we were going.

I woke up on a cot in a room that smelled like grass… Or like trees? Or like mushrooms… It was like the forests back at home. _Home…_ I felt a pang of nostalgia. I looked around to see a table in the middle of the room riddled with cups, pestle and mortars, and herbs.

Alex - "Mmm…"  
Doc - "Ah, you're awake?" He put a hand to my forehead. "You don't have a fever anymore. How are you feeling?"  
Alex - "Umm…"

 _How was I feeling? Come to think of it, I'm not feverish anymore. I don't have any nausea. And my stomach is…_

GRUMBLE.

Alex - "Oh!"  
Doc - "Haha! You must be hungry."  
Alex - "Aha, yeah. I'm starving. But I feel much better!"  
Doc - "Here, drink this."

I hesitantly took the cup. _What is it? I don't want to drink some strange liquid._

Doc - "I guess you don't remember. You drank that when I brought you down here. It's just some herbs to calm your stomach, helps with the nausea."  
Alex - "Oh…"

I took a sip. _Doc seems like a trustworthy kind of guy. Nothing like Eduardo! The mean creep…_ I ended up downing the whole cup.

Doc - "Woah! Slow down there. If you're really that hungry, you're gonna have to wait a bit. Nathan will have dinner ready soon."  
Alex - "I slept all day?!" GROWWWLL. "No wonder I'm hungry."  
Doc - "Just don't try and take something from the fridge okay? Nathan'll skewer you."

I let out a squeal and started trembling. So many things can get you killed on this ship!

Doc - "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just a joke! The guys around here don't mean what they say."  
Alex - "... What about Eduardo?"  
Doc scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, he's a little rough around the edges… But trust me, deep down he's a good guy. He's never actually thrown a woman overboard."

I found it hard to believe him, but I was happy he was trying to make me comfortable.

Alex - "Um, what's your name?"  
Doc - "Hm? It's Christopher. And you're… Alex right?"  
Alex - "Yes!" I smiled. "It's nice to meet you."  
Christopher - "There's the smile I like to see." He bopped my chin with his hand. "I've got some work to do, but you rest here okay?"

I watched him leave and rubbed my chin. _Hmph. He's treating me like a kid._ Despite what Christopher said, I didn't want to stay put. After being stuck in a barrel and sleeping for almost two days, I was antsy. I hopped out and ran out to the deck. The sun blinded me for a moment, and then everything was clear as crystal.

Alex - "Wow!"

I ran to the very front of the ship and threw myself onto the point, hugging the ornate wood poking out of the railing. I wasn't afraid of the rolling or the water anymore. It felt so great to be alive! I looked out at the vast ocean, only seeing blue with bits of white foam breaking through. Dark blue waters, light blue sky, and a soft yellow glow from the sun which had begun to set. There was nary a cloud in the sky. I thought I could see for miles from the port at Yamato, but this was completely different! Every direction I looked, it was the vast ocean, with dots of islands and tips of peninsulas here and there. And the sound! It wasn't deafening, but the crashing waves, rustling sails, and blowing wind were something I'd never experienced before, never so loudly and all together. I was amazed.

Thomas - "Miss Alex!"  
Alex - "Thomas! Hello!" I waved emphatically from my perch.  
Thomas - "Miss Alex, it's dangerous to hang off the edge like that! Please come down."  
Alex - "Alright." I hopped down and landed lightly, wobbling a little. I still needed to get used to the rolling.  
Thomas - "Phew. Captain would kill me if something happened to his woman…"  
Alex - "What?"  
Thomas - "Oh, nothing!" He waved his hands frantically. "So, I see you're feeling better?"  
Alex - "Oh yeah, way better!" I spun around.  
Thomas - "I'm glad to hear it. Have you had a tour of the ship yet?"  
Alex - "No, I haven't!"  
Captain - "Captain told me to show you around when you felt better. Would you like me to, Miss Alex?"

I wanted to tell him that I was hungry, but remembering Nathan's rule about the fridge, I didn't want to push my luck. I forced a smile on my face despite the pain in my stomach.

Alex - "Please do!"

Thomas showed me all the room's under the ship's deck, like the kitchen and the bath. Some I had been to before such as the mess hall and Doc's office. And then out on the deck he pointed out all the parts of the ship, which side was port and which was starboard, and which was the stern and the bow. He pointed out the crow's nest, the sails, the masts, and even showed me some special knots. There was no way I would remember everything, but I was happy to learn and be shown about.

Alex - "You know a lot about ships and sailing, huh?"  
Thomas - "Me? Naw, I'm not that great. I'm the greenhorn here, everyone else is more experienced than I am. Especially Eduardo. He can navigate us through a storm like that!" He snapped his fingers.  
Alex - "Hmph." _Everyone seems to respect Eduardo… but he's such a jerk!  
_ Thomas - "Is something wrong?"  
Alex - "Ah, no! It's fine. Thank you for the tour, I really appreciate it!"  
Thomas blushed. "I-it's my pleasure Miss Alex." He regained his composure quickly. "Dinner should be ready now, let's go!"  
Alex - "Okay!"

It was another feast on the table. Tempura vegetables and shrimp, udon, cooked greens, and several different kind of fish. There was even red rice! I was very excited, but also a little scared. I wondered if Nathan was mad at me for not eating his food. I sat down next to Thomas again as we were the last to arrive.

Captain - "Feeling better, my girl?"  
Alex - _My girl?_ "Uh, yes I am! Much better. I have Christopher to thank for that." I smiled at him.  
Captain - "I hope you're well enough to eat lots! We're celebrating tonight!  
Alex - "Oh, yes I am!"

THUNK!

I yelped. Nathan had slammed down a giant bowl of rice in front of me.

Nathan - "Ya better be."  
Alex - _Aah, scary!_ "Yes, of course!"

Everyone began eating and soon friendly banter filled up the room.

Russell - "Gimme yer meat!"  
Thomas - "Ah, whyyy?"  
Christopher - "You've had your fair share Russell."  
Nathan - "Ya won't get any meat tumorra if ya eat it all taday."  
Russell - "What?!"

Eduardo snagged some meat off of Russell's plate.

Russell - "Hey!"  
Eduardo - "You heard Nate. No meat for you."  
Russell - "Tha don' mean ya can take it!"  
Eduardo cocked his gone.  
Eduardo - "You gonna take it from me?"  
Russell - "Tch. Whatever."  
Captain - "It doesn't matter! Everyone eat up, we're gonna have a party tonight!"  
Alex - "Um, Captain…"  
Captain - "Yes?"  
Alex - "What's the occasion?"  
Captain - "You of course! It's a welcome party!"

I was surprised that the Captain would do such a thing since half the crew didn't even want me on board. I smiled sheepishly. _Oh Captain, I hope you didn't just make them hate me more!_ Russell had stopped eating and was staring at me.

Eduardo - "What's with you? Don't want your food anymore Russell?"  
Russell - "... Neva seen a lady eatin' like tha' befure."

Everyone at the table looked at me. I gulped down my giant mouthful of food. I had been gobbling everything down because I was so hungry. My bowl was almost empty.

Alex - "Um, I… I was really hungry."

Everyone burst out laughing. I blushed. _Oh, I'm really not acting like a lady at all!_

Nathan came over to me. "So, are ya done then?"  
Alex - "Um… actually… Can I have seconds?"  
Nathan looked surprised but then gave me a smirk. "Sure thang."

I felt embarrassed, but I hadn't eaten for two days! I was famished.

Eduardo - "I wonder what else you can stuff in that pretty little mouth of yours."  
Christopher - "Eduardo!" He yelled angrily.

Everyone else just laughed. I felt even more embarrassed than before. _Do they always joke around like this? It's not like it hasn't happened before… I just never thought I'd be back in a similar situation as when I was 15!_

After dinner Captain ordered everyone to prepare for the party, which basically consisted of finding all the booze on the ship and bringing it to the deck. He called me over separately though.

Captain - "Yo, girl, come with me."  
Alex - "O-okay… I mean, uh, yes Captain!"  
The Captain smiled.

I pouted. I didn't like this 'being his woman' business. He led me to his own room. It was lavishly decorated and furnished compared to what Thomas had. Red velvet drapes covered the windows, there was a bookshelf full of trinkets, jewelry, and other valuables, and a large bed with its own drapes was up against one wall. A large rectangular table was at the other end with a plush red chair behind it. The ground was covered with a soft, intricately woven rug. I had never been in such a classy room… and on a pirate ship to boot!

Captain - "So, what do you think?" He asked as he jumped into his red chair and put his boots up on the table.  
Alex - "It's…"  
Captain - "I know, right? It's luxurious! Fit for the Pirate King no doubt."  
Alex - "Pirate King?"  
Captain - "Oh, you don't know? That little town of yours must not get much news. I'm the Pirate King Morgan of the Sirius! Known and feared throughout all the land." He had stood up and propped a foot up on his chair and moved his arm in a large arch as he spoke. He leaned on his knee and looked at me. "Hm. Not impressed?"  
Alex - _Finally, a name other than just 'Captain'._ "Ah! Um… more like in shock. I didn't know pirates lived so well…"  
Morgan - "... You could too if you want to."  
Alex - "Huh?"  
Morgan - "I have something for you."

He walked over to a giant wardrobe beside the bed. He pulled out a simple yet elegant dress. It was a dark blue fabric with light green filigree along the edges and some simple designs on the breast.

Morgan - "I think this is about your size. Here, wear it."  
Alex - "W-why do you have women's clothing…?"  
Morgan winked at me. "It's a secret. Here, put it on."  
Alex - "Uh… yes Captain."

I waited for him to leave the room, but he didn't budge.

Morgan - "Well? What are you waiting for?"  
Alex - "Um, I can't change in front of you… Also, why are you giving me this?"  
Morgan - "Haha! You've been wearing the same clothes for two days. Don't you want to change?"

He walked up to me and put his face very close to mine. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I held the dress up and peeked above the neckline, like somehow it would protect me.

Morgan - "... And a woman should be comfortable changing in front of her man."  
Alex - "W-What? Since when are you my man? And I'm not your woman!"  
Morgan - "Aw, come on. Just for one night."  
Alex - "That's even worse!"  
Morgan - "Then would you rather forever?"

He smirked. He was getting too close to me.

"Aah!"

Suddenly he picked me up and gently tossed me on the bed. He was on top of me in an instant and moved the new dress from between us.

Captain - "Or is it that you want me to undress you?"

He reached for the buttons on my blouse. My face felt very hot and I was getting very nervous. I'd never had a man so close to me, and never in this position! _I don't want this! What am I going to do?_


	3. Chapter 3

Previously, on Pirates in Love...

Morgan - "Or is it that you want me to undress you?"

He reached for the buttons on my blouse. My face felt very hot and I was getting very nervous. I'd never had a man so close to me, and never in this position! _I don't want this! What am I going to do?_

* * *

Alex - "C-Captain!"

Morgan - "If you don't want me to, just say so." He whispered in my ear.

I could feel his hand unbuttoning my blouse. _What am I doing? Why aren't I stopping him? In the olden days I'd have kicked him the crotch by now. Why can't I move?_ I shut my eyes tight. _C'mon Alex, get a hold of yourself!_ He ran a hand up my side to move the blouse off my shoulders. He was so warm, and even though I didn't want him to he was undressing me so gently. My breathing quickened and I could feel my heart pounding.

Morgan - "Do you want me t-?"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Eduardo - "Captain! Preparations are complete."  
Alex - _Preparations? Geez, they take their drinking seriously…  
_ Morgan - *sigh* "I'll be right there!"

Morgan got off of me and gave me back the dress.

Morgan - "You can change yourself, this time." He grinned. "There should be some clean undergarments in that drawer there."

He walked out and closed the door behind him. _Oh God, he was gonna strip me naked! If Eduardo hadn't knocked… Not that he saved me on purpose._ I quickly got changed and gathered my old clothes to bring them back to Thomas's room. _I can't believe Morgan could make me feel that way… What is wrong with me? Am I seasick again?_ I looked at myself in a large mirror against the wall. I spun around to get a good view of the dress. It wasn't so fancy like the ones that the girls would wear in the city, but it was still pretty. It fit me pretty well, too. I felt a little rosy inside, thinking about what it'd be like to be a lady in waiting. Then I remembered where I was and shook my head. _I gotta keep it together!_ I opened the door and closed it behind me. I was about to turn down the hallway when…

Eduardo - "Making the Captain wait, huh?"

Surprised, I turned around to see Eduardo leaning against the wall, one leg propped up and arms crossed. He was smiling at me. _Was he waiting for me?_

Alex - "It's not like that! I don't want the Captain."

I turned around ready to stomp away from him.

Eduardo - "Wait." He grabbed my waist and pulled me back. "You missed a button."

I felt his hand on my neck as he moved my hair aside. I waited for him to finish fastening the button, then moved away quickly.

Alex - "Um. Thank you."  
Eduardo - "... Don't mention it."

He walked up the stairs to the deck. _That was odd. If anything I'd expect him to unfasten my buttons, like Morgan did…_ I shook my head. Once again, there was just too much happening in one day. I stowed my clothes away in Thomas's room. _I guess I'll wash these tomorrow._

By the time I got back onto the deck, the party was already in full swing.

Thomas - "I'll haf anuver cup *hic*."  
Russell - "Such a lightweight, ya can't take anotha cup!"  
Thomas - "Oh yeh, watchf me!" He downed a mug of booze.  
Alex - _Do they even have limits?  
_ Morgan - "Alex! Join us. Do you drink?"  
Alex - "I-I've never drank…"  
Morgan - "Never? Blasphemy!" He slammed a fist down. "Pour the lady a drink!"  
Alex - "Um, I really don't want to!"  
Eduardo - "Nonsense." He poured me a cup.

I took a sniff of the devil's brew. It smelled a little like bread. _Maybe I'll like it…_ I took a sip… and immediately spat it out.

Alex - "That's horrible!"

The men laughed.

Nathan - "You'll get used ta the taste."  
Alex - "I don't know… I always thought booze was for adults…"  
Christopher - "Hm? How old are you Alex?"  
Alex - "Ah, um, I just turned 18."  
Russell spat out his booze. "Yer just a kid!"  
Alex - "I-I am not!"  
Russell - "Neva drunk booze, n' yer so puny. Yer a kid!"  
Eduardo was staring at me intently.  
Eduardo - "... Alex, are you a virgin?"  
Alex - "Of course I am!"

They all went silent.

Morgan - "Damn…" Morgan looked at me very seriously. "Is it true?"  
Alex - "Of course it is. The marriage ceremony doesn't happen until you turn 18…"  
Christopher - "Marriage ceremony?"  
Alex - "Uh, yeah."

I explained about the village's tradition of marrying off girls when they turn 18. It was much more enforced in the villages surrounding Yamato than in the city itself. The age of the men didn't really matter, but most of the time they were around the same age. The men just needed to be 18 or older. The girls and boys who turned 18 get to choose their suitors. And up until then, the girls were supposed to remain virgins. The marriage ceremony was going to take place in a couple months time.

Alex - "I'm going to miss it…"  
Nathan - "... You wanna get married?"  
Alex - "No! Well, yes, someday. I don't know…"  
Morgan - "Hm. So you've got a man waiting for you at home, huh?"  
Alex - "Er, no. Not exactly." I hesitated. Except for Thomas who was getting quite drowsy, everyone was listening. "I-I worked too much to hang out with the other kids… And when I did see them they weren't very nice to me… I was working too much to really make friends. And I wasn't even born in the village, so I was already an outsider. I don't think any of the boys there would want to marry me."

There was a short silence.

Russell - "Pfft. Tha's a load o' crap. Who in da world wants ta be married."  
Eduardo - "Being tied to one woman would be a bore."  
Morgan grinned. "Life's no fun unless you can get your fill of women, am I right boys?"  
All - "Here here!"

The party was brought back to life and the men continued to poke fun at my village's tradition. Before coming aboard the ship, it had been all I had known. It was all I ever really wanted, but I was so afraid of ending up alone. I was a poor woman in that village, one who worked too hard and wasn't graceful or fair like the other girls. But it was my goal. After hearing the men talk about how such a life would be unthinkable for them, it made me feel better about myself possibly never achieving that. _There are people who are okay with leading a different life… Maybe I don't have to lead that life. Maybe I can lead this one?_ I was relieved. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I wasn't married off at 18.

I snuck away from the party and headed to the bow. Other than time sleeping, I hadn't had a moment to myself since I got on the ship. It was another nice night. There was more of the sky that I could see than ever before. More stars than I'd ever seen in my life. It seemed like a dream, almost better than home. _Home… I kind of miss it._ Well, the pirate life wasn't so bad, if you took out the pirates. I giggled to myself. A pirate life without pirates. What would be the point of that?

Russell - "What ya laughin at?"  
Alex - "Oh! Russell, you scared me."  
Russell - "Whatchya doin here by yerself anyway?"  
He leaned his elbows on the railing beside me and took a swig from his mug.  
Alex - "Ah, it's just… it's all so overwhelming. I've never been on a ship, and now I'm drinking, and wearing a pretty dress. It's a lot!"  
Russell - "Heh, ya think that's a pretty dress?"  
Alex - "... Oh, you don't think so?"  
Russell - "I di'nt say that, why ya twistin ma words?"  
Alex - "Sorry! I just didn't know what you meant…"  
Russell - "Ugh, god yer dumb."  
I couldn't take it anymore. I started crying.  
Russell - "Ah, geez, are ya a cryin drunk?"  
Alex - "Drunk… Am I?"  
Russell - "Probly. I went overboard ma first time."  
Alex - "You drank too much?"  
Russell - "Ha, no. I meant I went overboard." He pointed out at the ocean. "When I wuz a greenhorn on anotha ship."  
Even though I was still crying, he made me laugh.  
Alex - "Haha!... Ugh, ha."  
Russell - "Laughin and cryin, yer a real piece o' work aren'tchya?"  
Alex - "Sorry…"  
Russell - "Just stop cryin. Huh, n ya think ya ain't a kid."  
Alex - "How would you know? You don't know me, you don't know what I've done!"  
Russell - "What ya've done? What ya yellin bout now?"  
Alex - "I fancy myself pretty grown up for 18!"  
Russell - "Really? How's that?"

I clammed up. It was a part of my past I wasn't particularly proud of. And it was the kind of thing that I probably shouldn't say to pirates. But I really hated how they treated me like a child who didn't know the first thing about men. There were just some things a girl had to do when times got rough…

Russell - "Hey, answa me!"  
Alex - "Ah!"  
Russell - "I asked ya a question, di'nt I?"  
Alex - "You don't have to yell at me!"  
I ran back to the party.  
Nathan - "... Yer cryin."  
Alex - "No I ain't! I'm going to bed."  
Christopher - "Alex, if you're going, take Thomas with you. I think he's had enough."  
Thomas - "Chrisophr, yer so good ter meeee."  
Alex - "Fine."

I wrapped Thomas's arm around my shoulder and helped him walk to his room. I set him down on his cot, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me over him.

Thomas - "Miss Alex, yer so prettyyyy."  
Alex - "Ah, Thomas… um. Oh!"

He grabbed my waist and swung me onto the bed so that he was on top now. Instead of being in a drunken stupor, he suddenly looked very serious.

Thomas - "I would marry you Miss Alex."  
Alex - "What? Thomas, you're drunk."  
Thomas - "I mean it. Yer so… yer so… amazing…"

His eyes closed and he passed out on top of me. _Oh great. Am I gonna be the babysitter of drunken pirates now?_ I struggled for a bit trying to get off of him while he mumbled out nonsense. "I wanna marry you." "Yer so purdy. And you smell nice." I didn't know when Thomas had a chance to smell me, but it was cute that even in this drunken state the most he could do was say that he wanted to marry me. _He's a sweet kid._

Alex - "Sleep tight, Thomas."

I threw a blanket over him and put myself to bed as well.

* * *

Since I was feeling much better, I managed to get up bright and early the next day. Everyone else was still asleep, except for Nathan who was preparing breakfast. I decided a bath was long overdue and brought my clothes as well to get them washed. I snuck around the cabin to get to the bath. At some point during my sleep, Morgan took back the dress which I had left at the foot of my bed. I guess it wasn't mine to keep. I only had my undergarments on, but I made it to the bath without running into anyone.

While I was bathing I hummed a tune that girls liked to sing back in Yamato. It was a sort of lullaby for your loved one. I would be singing all the time whenever I baked, and it had been awhile since I had done that. It was nice to do something familiar to me. I took my clothes and washed them in the bath with me. After I hung them up in the room, I realized that I'd only have wet clothes to wear. _Shit, way to think ahead Alex. Maybe Russell's right, maybe I am dumb._ I grabbed the towel I had dried off with and wrapped it around me. _Maybe I can borrow some of Thomas's clothes, just until my clothes dry._

No one was up yet when I left the bath. I snuck back down to Thomas's room. He was still asleep, with one leg hanging off the bed. I stifled a giggle. I gently touched his shoulder to wake him.

Alex - "Thoooomaaaas."  
Thomas - "Ung… Miss Alex… Miss Alex? Where are your clothes?"  
Alex - "I was hoping you could help me with that."  
Thomas - "Did one of the other guys steal em?"  
Alex - "What? No. I took a bath and washed them. Well, Captain took back the dress, but that I don't mind."  
Thomas - "Oh… Okay."  
Thomas was averting his gaze from my shoddily clad body. His face was beat red.  
Alex - "Er, so, I was wondering if you had any clothes I could wear? Just until mine dry."  
Thomas - "O-of course, Miss Alex…"

He rummaged in his drawers and drew out a pair of trousers and a button down shirt. I put them on. They were quite baggy on me. I tucked in the shirt and rolled up the sleeves past my elbows.

Alex - "Hmmm. Does this look better?"  
Thomas - "Er, a little…"  
Alex - "Do I look like a pirate?" I asked playfully. I stuck one leg on the cot and saluted with my other hand on my hip. "Arrrr, matey!"  
Thomas laughed. "Not at all! Pirates don't say that."  
Alex - "Oh, really?"  
Thomas smiled. "Come on, let's eat breakfast."

Thomas and I entered the mess hall together. Everyone was already seated and eating. _Wow they assemble fast for food._

Nathan - "... Is there a reason you're wearing Thomas's clothes?"  
Alex - "Hm? What do you mean?" I thought it was pretty obvious why.  
Eduardo - "Oh, avoiding the question are we?"  
Alex - "Huh?" I looked at Thomas who was red in the face again. Instead of answering, he just sat down and started eating.  
Morgan pouted. "I can't believe you'd lay with him before me. Thomas, no more booze for you!"

Thomas looked bewildered.

Alex - "What? I'm just wearing his clothes cuz mine are drying! I took a bath this morning and washed them…"  
Morgan - "Oh… Hahaha, what a good prank!" He beamed.

Before any more teasing could ensue, there was huge commotion outside.

BOOM. KRAK. BOOM.

Russell ran outside first.

Russell - "PIRATES."

Everyone got up and ran outside. I decided to stay in the mess hall, it seemed safe, but then a cannon ball shot through the window.

"AAAAHHH!"

Eduardo - "What are you doing just standing there? Come on!"

He grabbed my wrist and brought me out onto the deck. The Sirius crew was in fierce battle with the rival pirates who had boarded our ship.

Eduardo - "... You can't fight can you?"  
Alex - "No."  
Eduardo - "Tch. Just as well. Stay behind me."

Eduardo took out his guns and shot at the pirates. He had perfect aim.

AAARGH!

A pirate ran at him from the side. He used his gun to disarm the pirate and shot him in the face. Blood splattered everywhere. _Oh god, how horrible!_ I wanted to look away from the carnage, but I couldn't. The deck was quickly being coated with blood.

Russell - "Tha hell is she doin out here?!"

Russell came up beside Eduardo and started fighting alongside him.

Eduardo - "Good, you're here. Protect her."

Eduardo ran off into the scuffle.

Russell - "Dammit, Eduardo!" He turned to look at me. "You, don't move!"

I nodded, unable to say a word.

Russell wasn't fazed by the pirates that kept charging at him. He sliced them down with ease and wouldn't even flinch when he got a wound here and there. I looked at the ship across the way that was attacking us. There were a few archers set up on the rails. They were taking aim in our direction. _They're gonna shoot Russell!_

Alex - "Russell!"

I shoved him to the ground right after he stabbed a man through the chest. The first two arrows missed by a hair, but the third one was a hit.

Russell - "Ah, what the hell ya doin woman?!"  
Alex - "Aaaah… it hurts."

The arrow went through the side of my thigh.

Russell - "Shit, yer hurt!"

Most of the fighting was at the edges of the ship now. The enemy pirates were being forced back. It wasn't long before they called back their forces and escaped.

Russell - "Yo, Doc!" Russell waved to get his attention, but he was concentrating on Nathan who was lying face down on the deck in a pool of blood. "Dammit, Nathan's hurt bad."

The pain was agonizing. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. _No! No crying. Russell will just yell more._ I needed to prove that I wasn't some helpless little kid. I gritted my teeth together. I can do this, I can take care of myself!


	4. Chapter 4

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Russell - "Yo, Doc!" Russell waved to get his attention, but he was concentrating on Nathan who was lying face down on the deck in a pool of blood. "Dammit, Nathan's hurt bad."

The pain was agonizing. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. _No! No crying. Russell will just yell more._ I needed to prove that I wasn't some helpless little kid. I gritted my teeth together. I can do this, I can take care of myself!

* * *

I took a deep breath and snapped off the bottom of the arrow, stifling a scream.

Russell - "Oi, what ya doin?"

Ignoring Russell, I put the wood between my teeth. I took a few quick breaths before gripping the top of the arrow still in me and started to pull it out.

Russell - "Hey, stop! Wait for Doc."  
Alex - "No!" I yelled through my teeth. I glared at him. "No."

Russell looked shocked, but let me continue treating myself. I pulled the arrow out with one last yank and growled, biting down and snapping the piece of wood between my teeth. I spat out the splinters and used the arrowhead to cut off my sleeve.

Russell - "Gimme that."

Russell tore my sleeve off and wrapped it around my leg. Christopher and Eduardo came by supporting Nathan between them.

Christopher - "Is she injured, too?"  
Russell - "Yeah."  
Christopher - "Bring her to the sick bay."  
Russell - "Right."

Russell picked me up in his arms and carried me downstairs. In the sick bay, he propped me up on the bench and Doc and Eduardo laid Nathan down on the bed. Nathan had a long deep wound on his back from his shoulder to his hip. It was bleeding profusely. Morgan and Thomas waited by the entrance.

Christopher - "What's her injury?"  
Russell - "Arrow wound. She got a thru n thru in 'er leg."  
Alex - "It's not that bad!"  
Russell - "How can ya say that?!"

Christopher inspected my wound for a moment.

Christopher - "She's right."  
Russell - "What?!"  
Christopher - "I have to tend to Nathan first, his wound is much worse. Russell, you're going to have to help me with Alex."  
Russell - "Nathan'll be fine, look after 'er first!"

 _What is he getting so heated up about?_

Christopher hesitated.

Alex - "Christopher… Help Nathan. He looks a lot worse off than I am."

Christopher nodded determinedly and returned to tending to Nathan.

Christopher - "Russell, there's a knife over there. You need to cut off her trousers. Use the cloths over there to stop the bleeding. Put a lot of pressure on both ends."

Russell did as Christopher told him. His movements were rough and quick. I kept wincing every time he sliced at my trousers, afraid he'd cut me. He was so sure with his movements, though. He took the cloths and pressed hard on my leg. I shut my eyes and banged my head off the wall behind me, trying to distract from the pain.

"Ugh!"

For a moment Russell had a look of concern on his face, but then it was gone. He kept the pressure on my leg. I looked at his own wounds. Shallow cuts on his arms and chest were bleeding out onto his shirt. I touched one with my fingertips.

Alex - "... You're hurt."  
Russell - "Don' worry 'bout me. This is nuthin'."  
Alex - "But -."  
Russell - "Shut up! I'll be fine. Ya worry 'bout yerself, aight?"

His forward creased angrily and he put his concentration back on my leg. I knew Russell was tough when it came to fighting, but I was still worried. His shirt was soaked in blood. He was completely ignoring his wounds for my sake.

Morgan - "Anything you need, Doc?"  
Christopher - "Water. Lots of sterile water. And some needle and thread, and matches, should be in the drawer over there."  
Morgan - "You heard the man, water!" He yelled at Thomas.  
Thomas - "Yes sir!"

Thomas filled several buckets with water. Morgan brought the needle, thread, and matches to Christopher.

Morgan - "Will he survive?"  
Christopher - "... As long as I close the wound before he bleeds out, he'll be fine."  
Morgan - "We'll give you some room. Men!"

Eduardo, Thomas, and Morgan left. It was silent in the room while Christopher worked on Nathan. He spread some ointment on his wound after cleaning off all the blood. He put together the needle and thread and lit a match which he waved along the needle. _Oh god, he's gonna sew Nathan back together. I can't watch!_ I closed my eyes and leaned back. I decided to concentrate on my own pain. It was more of a dull throb now. Much more manageable.

It reminded me of back when I took a hike through the woods with some of the city kids, back when I lived inside the city Yamato. I ended up tumbling down a dirt cliff. I shouted for help, but no one came. I had managed not to get cut up too much, but a sharp stick had speared my arm. It wasn't a deep wound, but I was only a child, and I remembered crying for a good while before realizing that I had to get myself my own help. I stumbled back to the city, looking for a leaky pipe for water to clean my wound. I had to rip my own clothes to bandage my arm. I was lucky, and it didn't get infected. From then on, the pain from cuts and bruises didn't bother me much.

Christopher - "Has the bleeding stopped?"  
Russell - "I dunno…"

Russell took his hands off my leg to check.

Russell - "It's slowed down a lot."  
Christopher - "Here. Take some of this water to clean the wound. Are there any splinters?"

Russell inspected my leg very closely. He had to have me lean over and lift my leg to check the exit wound. His face was so close to my thigh. If I weren't in pain, I might have been embarrassed.

Russell - "Nope."  
Christopher - "Good." He sighed. "Put this ointment directly into the wound, and the other side, too. It may -"

Russell had grabbed the bottle and poured it over my leg before Christopher could finish his warning.

Christopher - "- hurt a little…"  
Alex - "OOOOWW!" I jerked my leg away.  
Russell - "Don' flail around when I'm tryna help ya!"  
Alex - "You're too rough!" I said as I edged away.  
Russell - "Fine!" He pulled me by the waist back to him.

This time he poured the ointment slowly and rubbed it into the wound gently.

Christopher - "Put these gauze pads on her wounds. And wrap them up with this. Make sure it's tight."

Russell did as he was told. Even though the wrapping had to be tight, he wasn't as crazy rough as before. I could actually start to relax around him. Christopher had finished up with Nathan who was still unconscious. He and Russell cleaned up as much of the blood as they could. They laid me out on the bench and rolled up some blankets for under my head and to keep my leg elevated. Christopher rolled Nathan onto his side and opened his eyes.

Christopher - "He's still breathing. He's just sleeping right now. Alex."

I looked up.

Christopher - "If he wakes up, have him drink this."

He handed me a cup that smelt strongly of alcohol.

Alex - "Booze?!"  
Christopher - "It's a great pain killer." He smiled. "I need to go see the Captain now. You two rest up, I'll be back to check on you."

Christopher left, leaving Russell the only one left, other than the passed out Nathan. He had taken off his shirt and was cleaning his wounds at the sink. Most of them had stopped bleeding. He wouldn't look at me. Just before he was about to leave, I called out to him.

Alex - "Russell?"

He paused, but didn't turn around.

Alex - "... Thank you."

It almost looked like he was about to turn, but instead he exited the sick bay, slamming the door behind him. I cringed a little. _I guess he's back to being angry Russell._ Not knowing what else to do, I closed my eyes to sleep.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of yelling.

Nathan - "AAAGH. FUCK."

Nathan was sitting up on the cot. He had torn off his bandana and had his head in his hands. He had a tortured look on his face. Startled, I almost knocked over the cup of booze I had set aside. I quickly grabbed it and handed it to Nathan.

Alex - "Here, drink this!"

Nathan took the cup. After a moment he realized what it was and downed it in one gulp then slammed the cup down.

Nathan - "Aaahh…"  
Alex - "Uh, are you okay?"  
He glared at me. "Do I look okay?"  
Alex - "Ah, I just meant - nevermind."

I went back to lying down on the bench and lifted my leg back up onto the blankets. Nathan grabbed my ankle.

Alex - "Ah, what?"  
Nathan - "... Yer hurt."  
Alex - "Oh, it's not that bad. I can hardly feel it anymore, really."

I was lying. It hurt like fucking hell. He looked at the bandage carefully, still holding onto my ankle. The bleeding had slowed down but it had seeped through the layers of gauze and showed up as two red blotches on my thigh. His intense gaze made me nervous. And he wouldn't let go of my leg. _What is he thinking?_ I blushed.

Nathan - "Did Eduardo shoot you?"  
Alex - "What? No, it was an arrow from the enemy pirates… Is that something he would do?"  
Nathan shrugged. "Wouldn't be tha first time."

I remember Christopher saying Eduardo had never thrown a woman overboard. I trusted Christopher, but he never mentioned Eduardo shooting anyone. Who was telling the truth? _There's no way I can relax with a man like that on board!_ Nathan let go of my ankle and lay back down. I noticed his bandana on the floor. I leaned over to pick it up and gave it to him. He took it back silently, but didn't put it back on. _He looks pretty good without the bandana, too…_

Nathan - "Whatchya starin at?"  
Alex - "Nothing!"

Christopher came in just then, carrying bowls of food.

Christopher - "Dinner!"  
Nathan - "Dinner? Who's been in ma kitchen?"  
Christopher - "Well, since you can't cook, we set Thomas to work!"

Nathan grumbled something about incompetent people using his tools. Christopher set down the bowls. It was just cooked rice with pieces of nori and some miso soup.

Nathan - "What's this shit?"  
Christopher - "It's food."  
Nathan - "I ain't eatin this."  
Christopher - "You need to eat something."  
Nathan - "..."

Suddenly, Nathan threw the bowl of rice across the room. The bowl shattered and ceramic pieces flew everywhere.

Christopher - "Nathan… You're scaring Alex."

I hadn't realized it but I had dragged a blanket up to my face and had squeezed myself into a corner of the room. Nathan looked at me and his expression softened.

Nathan - "Whatever." He turned over in his cot.  
Christopher sighed. "Suit yourself." He left the room.

I hesitantly reached for a bowl and quietly ate by myself. _Will I ever feel relaxed on this ship?_

Nathan - "I'll cook you somethin better."  
Alex - "Hm?"

Nathan looked over his shoulder at me.

Nathan - "Ya don't hafta eat that. I'll make somethin better."

I put the bowl down. I didn't have much of an appetite anyway. I sighed. Yet another day wasted and another day spent in the sick bay. _I don't think I'm made out for the pirate life…_ I settled down to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next day in my own bed in Thomas's room. _Hm? How'd I get here?_ I still wore the bloody trousers and ripped shirt. My other clothes had been neatly folded and placed by my bed. _I wonder if Thomas did that?_ I changed out of Thomas's now ruined clothes and into my own. It was a little difficult getting the skirt on, and I found I had a hard time limping around in it. I kept tripping over the hem. I decided to switch back to the trousers, ripping the legs to get rid of the bloody parts and to even them out. They ended up pretty short on me. _Better than nothing I guess._ I put on my undershirt and blouse and limped my way through the cabin. I heard voices coming from the mess hall and headed over. I leaned on the door frame, slightly out of breath. Everyone except Nathan and Christopher were there. Eduardo looked at me as I stepped in.

Eduardo - "Oh, you're up."  
Alex - "Um, mornin."  
Morgan - "How's your leg, girl?"  
Alex - "Uh, I think it's better."  
Morgan - "Hmm… Might wanna get that dressing checked out by doc. He's in the sick bay with Nathan."

A trickle of blood had escaped from the bandage and was slowly running down my leg.

Alex - "Oh!..." I started to head that way, feebly dragging my leg, when suddenly I was whisked off my feet. "Oof!"

Russell was carrying me in his arms again. He didn't say a word as he brought me to the sick bay. I could feel pieces of gauze through his shirt. _Oh good, he patched himself up..._

Russell - "Check on 'er, will ya Doc?"  
Alex - "What about you?"  
Russell - "I'm fine!"

He left abruptly.

Alex - "That was odd…"  
Nathan - "... That's just Russell."

Nathan was sitting up on the cot with his back to Doc. Doc had taken off his bandages and was tending to his wound. It looked even more gruesome than yesterday.

Nathan - "Russell doesn't say things like 'Thank you' or 'sorry'. He'll just do what he thinks is right."  
Christopher - "He's really a big softy on the inside. In fact, he probably likes worrying about you."

They laughed. Nathan cringed a little. The laughing had strained his back.

Alex - "Oh…"

I was slowly learning that these pirates weren't just barbarians in the monstrous stories I heard back at home. There was a lot more going on with them, deep inside, that I had yet to figure out. But I was inching my way closer to what truly lay in their hearts. I decided to be less rash with Russell. Maybe he really does have a gentle side.


	5. Chapter 5

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Nathan - "Russell doesn't say things like 'Thank you' or 'sorry'. He'll just do what he thinks is right."  
Christopher - "He's really a big softy on the inside. In fact, he probably likes worrying about you."

They laughed. Nathan cringed a little. The laughing had strained his back.

Alex - "Oh…"

I was slowly learning that these pirates weren't just barbarians in the monstrous stories I heard back at home. There was a lot more going on with them, deep inside, that I had yet to figure out. But I was inching my way closer to what truly lay in their hearts. I decided to be less rash with Russell. Maybe he really does have a gentle side.

* * *

Christopher finished up with changing our bandages. He gave Nathan another cup of booze which he took with gusto. Christopher proffered a small cup to me. I shook my head. He left it on the table for Nathan who took it gladly. I got up and looked for something I could use as a crutch. In the corner I found some planks of wood. I found one the right size, wrapped a cloth around one end, and fitted it under my arm.

Nathan - "What are you doing?"  
Alex - "I'm making a crutch so I can get around a little better. See?"

I swung the plank and took a step.

Alex - "Pretty nifty huh?"  
Nathan - "... You should rest."  
Alex - "Naw, I'm done with that. My wound is just a scrape compared to what you've got. You're the one that needs rest."

Nathan scowled and looked away. _Oh, he didn't like that. Did I insult his... manliness?_

Alex - "Er, I'm gonna get some breakfast. You want some?"  
Nathan - "... No."

I inched my way back to the mess hall. The crew there was still complaining about Thomas's awful cooking.

Morgan - "Aaah, all I want is some good bread. When will Nathan be back on his feet?"  
Christopher shook his head. "Not for a while Captain."

Morgan poked at his food, uninterested.

Alex - "I can make bread."

He looked up.

Morgan - "You can?"  
Alex - "Well, yeah. I'm a baker! I've been a baker at the portside village for… let's see… almost three years."  
Morgan - "Fresh bread on board? What a treat. I can drink more booze with bread to soak it up. Hop to it, girl!"  
Christopher - "Captain, she's still badly injured."  
Alex - "No I'm not! I mean, it's not that bad. I really only need my hands to bake anyway. I can stand on one leg."  
Eduardo - "Doesn't it hurt?"  
Alex - "Oh, not much. I can take the pain anyway, this is nothing!" I tried to laugh it off casually. Eduardo smiled.  
Christopher - "Are you sure? You shouldn't push yourself."  
I smiled. "Thanks Christopher, but I'll be fine. I'm actually excited, I haven't baked anything in days. I miss it!"  
Morgan - "Good girl! How soon can we have the bread?"  
Alex - "Oh… um the process is kind of long. I might have it ready by lunch."  
Morgan looked disappointed. "Hm. Well then, make it so!"  
Alex - "Ah, yes Captain!"

I went to the kitchen. It reminded me of the one I had back in my home village. It was small, with only a little bit of counter space and the sink and appliances shoved into one corner. Near the door was a small stone oven which appeared to already be lit. _Oh, is this how they keep the cabin warm? This isn't hot enough for bread though…_ I stoked the fire a bit. I placed my makeshift crutch on the edge of the counter and clapped my hands. Instinctively, I reached up to tighten my cap only to realize that it wasn't there. _Oh, right…_ I couldn't feel bad for myself now! I nodded decisively and started cooking.

I managed to have the bread ready by lunchtime, which made Morgan extremely happy. The rest of the crew was pretty impressed, too. It had been a long time since they had eaten freshly baked bread. I had cooked up some fish and other dishes from my hometown for lunch as well. The crew was noticeably happier having good food on the table. I cleaned up in the kitchen and gathered some food in a big bowl, including a couple of the buns I had baked. I grabbed two small bowls and two pairs of chopsticks and headed to the sick bay.

It was difficult getting down the stairs with everything I was carrying and my crutch. I had been standing in the kitchen for a long time and it was taking its toll. I ended up tossing my crutch to the bottom and just dealing with the pain. I thought the worst was over when I got to the door of the sick bay. I spent a good minute fiddling with the knob, trying to use my wrists, elbows, anything that wasn't carrying food, to open the door. It abruptly opened. I looked up to see Nathan standing there, only bandages on his chest and his bandana back on his head.

Nathan - "..."  
Alex - "Oh, hi! I um…"

I felt a huge shot of pain in my leg. The bowls of food started to slip out of my hands. _Oh no!_

Before they could fall, Nathan grabbed them. He moved gingerly back into the sickbay and set them down. He sat on a stool and leaned heavily onto the table. It looked like he was in a lot of pain. I quickly grabbed a cup and the bottle of booze off the shelf and poured him a drink, taking a seat across from him. He drank it all at once. He grabbed another cup and poured out two cups of booze and set one in front of me. _He wants me to drink? If it's anything like his food rule, I should drink it…_ I took a small sip of the booze.

Nathan - "Ya made this?"  
Alex - "Uh, yeah! The crew asked me to bake some bread, and in case you'd want some I brought some down."

I started divvying up the food and handed him a bun. He took it and put a piece in his mouth, chewing slowly.

Nathan - "... This is good."  
Alex - "Really? You think so?"  
Nathan - "Yeah. What's this otha stuff?"

I explained the other dishes I had made and that they were traditional foods from Yamato.

Alex - "I didn't think I could make these, but you've got every ingredient in your kitchen! … Ah, I'm sorry if you didn't want me in there, using your tools…"  
Nathan - "I think it's okay, just this once. Ya cook pretty good."  
Alex - "Oh, really? I'm so happy you think so! It's a real compliment coming from you."

I smiled cheerily at him and started eating with gusto. Nathan looked away, slightly flushed.

Nathan - "Where'd ya learn how to cook?"  
Alex - "Hm? Well, I guess on my own. Charlie, the chef at the bakery is pretty good at cooking. I learned some stuff from him. I like baking more though, it's my forte. Back at home, I'm a baker…"

I trailed off. I got a little sad thinking about home. Especially since I was eating some home delicacies, it hurt even more that I was so far away.

Nathan - "Ya miss yer home, do ya?"  
Alex - "Uh, yeah… a little."  
Nathan - "... Ya think you'd miss it less if I cooked this stuff?"

I looked at him, surprised.

Alex - "Yeah, maybe.."  
Nathan - "Alrigh'."

He went back to eating and silence filled the room. I shyly ate my food. It was the first nice thing Nathan had done. I felt embarrassed. Nathan stopped and looked at me. He poked my forehead with his chopsticks.

Nathan - "Why ya still sad? I said I'd cook fer ya, so cheer up."  
Alex - "Ah, right. Sorry!"

We ate in silence, which was a nice change from the constant raucous the other crew members made. I felt very comfortable sitting with Nathan. He wasn't so scary anymore.

Over the next week as Nathan healed, I replaced him in the kitchen. It only took another day for me to get rid of the crutch. It felt good to be useful on the ship. No one was yelling at me, telling me how useless or in the way I was. Every day, I'd bring food down to the sickbay and eat with Nathan until he could get up and walk around. Even though he had his choice of seats, he still always sat across from me in the mess hall. He'd even make people move over to take the seat across from me, and he always had a different reason for doing it. I thought it was cute.

I found chocolate and dried fruit in the kitchen one day and made some little sweets, just for fun. Eduardo demanded that it become a regular thing. It was scary trying to meet his standards, but I found the challenge exciting. And if I did well, small presents would appear. He never admitted it, but I'm pretty sure they were from him. I'd find small, beautiful seashells underneath my pillow, pretty bobby pins and ribbons for my hair, and other trinkets. On the other hand, if I upset him I'd get a swift whack on the head. But it was nice, to be distracted from the reality of my unfortunate situation.

One day, Morgan gathered us all in the navigation room.

Morgan - "We'll be docking at Hoenn soon, men."  
Eduardo - "Should get there early tomorrow morning."  
Morgan - "If all goes well, our lead from Yamato should get us more information there. We'll only be stopping for the day to restock, so use your time wisely. I wanna know where to find this damn map before we leave port."  
Alex - "Um, map? A map of what?"  
Morgan - "A map to find treasure of course!"  
Alex - "Treasure maps? I didn't think they actually existed…"  
Russell - "O' course they do. What would we be doin' if there weren' any treasa to find?"  
Christopher - "It's our stock and trade."  
Eduardo - "Did you think all this food and booze dropped from the sky?"  
Alex - "Er, no…" _Ah, I said a stupid thing!  
_ Morgan - "Alright men. Nathan is still under the weather, so Russell and Thomas, you'll be replenishing his kitchen stock. Alex, do you have the list?"  
Alex - "Yes, Captain!" _I hope I made the list right._

I had double checked with Nathan the night before if I was missing anything on the list, but I was still apprehensive.

Morgan - "Good! I'll be heading to the local watering hole to see if I can dig up more information…"

Christopher and Eduardo rolled their eyes. That was never Morgan's main objective at a bar. It was always for booze and women. In that order.

Morgan - "Christopher, you come with me, and Eduardo, head to the market and see what you can find out from the locals."  
Eduardo and Christopher - "Aye, Captain."  
Alex - "... Can I do something?"  
Morgan - "... Hm, you can stay here with Nathan to watch the ship."  
Alex - "But, I'd like to help! Or at least get off the boat. I've never been in another city, other than Yamato."  
Eduardo - "This ain't no class trip, girl."  
Morgan stroked his chin. "No, she's earned it. She's been quite helpful, surprisingly. And she even saved Russell, though he doesn't care to admit it."  
Russell - "The hell does tha mean?!"

Morgan laughed.

Morgan - "Eduardo, take her to the market. Buy her something pretty."  
Eduardo looked at me scathingly. "You better not cause any trouble for me."  
Alex - "I-I won't! I swear." _Of all the people to be paired with! I was regretting my decision to leave the ship._

The next morning we anchored at the port of Hoenn. The streets were already crowded so early in the morning. _It must be a big city!_ Morgan dismissed us and we disembarked. I didn't think I could lose my footing on solid ground so easily, but I stumbled as soon as my feet hit the pavement. The world was trying to spin, and my balance was trying to right itself even though the ground wasn't moving. Eduardo grabbed my shoulders and steadied me.

Eduardo - "You're no good walking on or off boats, are you?"  
Alex - "I-I just didn't expect the ground to move!"  
Eduardo - "It's not. You've just been on a boat too long. You'll adjust soon enough."  
Alex - "O-okay…"  
Eduardo - "Stop stuttering. You sound like a child…"  
Alex - "Ah, yes sir!"

We headed to the market. The streets were clean and lined with cobblestone. On both sides large brick buildings and houses towered over me. On occasion a carriage would barrel through the crowd, everyone would move out of the way, and then crowd the street again, like a school of fish. Stalls poked out from the brickwork selling all sorts of stuff. Street food, claywork, clothes, jewelry, spices, and so much more. I could hear stall owners yelling, advertising their goods, and customers trying to bargain with them. Eduardo walked through the crowd with ease. He fit into the big city quiet well. He would occasionally stop to talk to locals or shopkeepers, which left me to examine the goods for sale. _I really need some new clothes, I only have two outfits on board…_

Shopkeeper - "Perhaps a ring for the lady?"

The shopkeeper waved a gold ring with a large white opal on it. We had stopped at a stall which sold all kinds of trinkets and doodads, along with some jewelry.

Eduardo - "I'm not here to bargain with your cheap wares."  
Alex - _Cheap? That looked pretty expensive to me!  
_ Eduardo noticed something hanging on the stall. "Where'd you get this material?"

Eduardo held a piece of fabric, but it looked more like parchment and had faint lines on it.

Shopkeeper - "Ah, that was sold to me by a travellin merchant. He brings some rare stuff ova from Moldor. It's old map parchment, but still good for drawin on."

Eduardo stared at the parchment pensively.

Eduardo - "I'll take it. How much?"

They bargained a bit before settling on a price. The shopkeeper rolled up the parchment and tied it with twine. We continued on our way.

Alex - "Do you think that's the map we need?"  
Eduardo - "... Could be. Let's go here."

We stepped into a fabric store. _Is he looking for more pieces of the map here?_ I browsed the different linens. There were many colours and patterns, and the fabric was so soft. I came across a small table with some clothing. I picked up the shirts and shorts. _If this weren't right next to the shopkeeper, I could just take it, like in the olden days._

Eduardo - "... How much for those?"  
Shopkeeper - "The clothing? For a set it's 5 silver coins."  
Eduardo - "I'll grab two. Lady's choice."  
Alex - "You're buying these for me?"  
Eduardo - "You need clothes, don't you? I'm sick of seeing you in the same two outfits. And Thomas's clothes look terrible on you."  
Alex - "... Thank you!"

I picked out two shirts and two shorts I liked. We hit up a few more shops before calling it a day and heading back to the ship. We were the last to arrive. Morgan gathered us in the navigation room to discuss our findings.

Morgan - "I didn't gather much, other than tall tales. Did anyone find anything?"  
Thomas - "We heard of mostly legends as well, but there was one about a treasure in Yamato."  
Morgan - "Tell us!"  
Thomas - "The treasure belonged to a prince who had been passing through, but it got stolen from him by pirates. The pirates made a deal with him and gave him three days to locate his treasure. If he found it, he could keep it. They gave him a map to help him, but it didn't contain any names of islands or cities, so it was useless to the prince. He never found his treasure, but he did track down the pirates who stole it and took them to jail to have them hanged. No one's found the treasure since, but they say the prince entrusted a part of the map to someone in Moldor before he died."  
Alex - _Moldor?_ I looked at Eduardo.  
Morgan - "Hmm, that sounds like what our guy in Yamato was talking about. But you said only part of the map, right?"  
Thomas - "Yes. The other part is rumoured to be in the Reiz Empire since that's where the prince is originally from, according to the legend."  
Morgan - "Hm. It's a bit of a lead. Eduardo, Alex, did you find anything?"  
Eduardo - "We didn't find anything of interest."

I stared at him, bewildered. What about the map piece he bought? That's connected to Moldor. Eduardo stared back at me, daring me to say something. I looked away. _Does he just want the treasure for himself, or is there something else going on?_ There was no way I'd cross Eduardo. He might shoot me! I stayed quiet.

Thomas - "Did you get something at the market, Miss Alex?"  
Alex - "Yeah, Eduardo bought them for me!"

I pulled out the clothing from my bag, but I had forgotten what else I put in there. A wooden comb fell out onto the floor. _Oh crap, I forgot I took that!_ Eduardo picked it up.

Eduardo - "I didn't buy this for you."

Everyone stared at me. I held my hands to my chest and looked at the ground. I felt my face getting hot.

Eduardo - "Alex?"  
Alex - "... I took it. From one of the vendors."  
Russell - "Ya stole it?"  
I hesitated. "Uh, yeah. I needed one, and I didn't want to ask too much from Eduardo…"  
Morgan laughed. "Our girl's starting a thieving streak! Like a true pirate."  
Christopher shook his head, but smiled. "I never would have thought."

Eduardo handed the comb back to me with a small smile on his face. I took it back, embarrassed.

Alex - "It's not my first time…"  
Eduardo - "Hm?"  
Alex - "Ah, I didn't say anything!"  
Morgan - "Back to business. I think we can get more information outta this city. We'll spend the night here! There's a great bar at an inn I went to today…"

Everyone was pleased to hear they'd be staying in the city. They were especially excited about drinking at the bar. I liked the idea of being back on dry land. I changed my outfit to my skirt and blouse. I felt I looked too much like a guy in shorts and a t-shirt. I used the comb to get all the seafaring tangles out of my hair and braided it down my back. I tied the end with one of the ribbons I had 'randomly found on the ship'. We all headed out to the inn and hit the bar first. It was dingy with crooked tables and broken chairs. All the barmaids wore dresses so tight their breasts were popping out of their tops. The booze was flowing like water here. It was a pirate's bar, if anything.

Morgan was surrounded by women who all apparently knew him already. He whispered sweet nothings in their ears and stroked their faces seductively. I had to admit, he was very good with the ladies. It reminded me of the night he gave me that dress. _He's being much nicer to these girls than he was with me… Why?_

Thomas and Russell were playing bar games with some other men in the bar. Eduardo was cold as always while the barmaids tried to woo him and Nathan sat silently beside him, unaware of the shy looks women gave him. Christopher was keeping an eye on everyone. He sat down beside me.

Christopher - "Not drinking?"  
Alex - "Um, it costs money here doesn't it?"  
Christopher - "It's okay. What's ours is yours."

He ordered a drink for me.

Christopher - "You can relax and have fun every once in awhile, Alex. Just don't drink too much, alright?"

He patted me on the head. It's weird how he treats me with respect, but then goes and does something like that. I really wanted him to see me as a woman, not a girl. _I guess he's only nice to me cuz he thinks I'm a kid..._

As the night wore on the bar got rowdier and rowdier. Drinks were spilled, mugs were smashed, and a few punches were thrown. Russell got into one too many scuffles, and soon he found himself facing off with a group of men he'd ticked off. The crew gathered around him to back him up, but they were up against practically every man in the bar. Christopher grabbed Morgan's shoulder.

Christopher - "We're at a disadvantage here."  
Morgan - "I know…"  
Christopher - "Nathan is in no condition to fight right now, and at this point the owner isn't gonna want to give us rooms."  
Drunk Guy - "Oi, you guys look familiar… You guys are the Sirius Pirates ain't ya?"

Morgan looked bolstered and stepped forward proudly.

Morgan - "Ah, you've heard of us! Then you know our reputation. Best to leave before you regret your actions."  
Drunk Guy - "Heh, no… Ya'll have bounties on yer heads." He slapped a shotgun into his hand. "I think it's time to collect."

The rest of the men in the bar started to roar and cheer. They edged closer to the Sirius crew.

In the hustle and bustle I ended up staying on the other side of the bar, near the stage where the girls were dancing. The stage was empty now and the girls were hiding behind the bar. The men in the bar didn't think I was a part of the crew, they all had their backs to me. _There's no way they can beat all these guys… They're in trouble!_ I started to panic. _Nathan can't even fight right now, there's no way he won't get hurt again!_ I looked around the bar, but there was no exit close to the crew. My eyes fell on a small guitar propped up against the stage.

 _... I have an idea!_


	6. Chapter 6

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

In the hustle and bustle I ended up staying on the other side of the bar, near the stage where the girls were dancing, which was now empty. The girls were hiding behind the bar. The men didn't think I was a part of the crew, they all had their backs to me. _There's no way they can beat all these guys… They're in trouble!_ I started to panic. _Nathan can't even fight right now, there's no way he won't get hurt again!_ I looked around the bar, but there was no exit close to the crew. My eyes fell on a small guitar propped up against the stage.

 _I have an idea!_

* * *

I grabbed the guitar and hopped on stage. I brought the stool up to the edge where there was a small amplifier for my voice. I crossed my legs on the stool and hiked up my skirt past my knees, revealing as much leg as I could. I untied the ribbon from my braid and shook my hair out. I unbuttoned my blouse a bit and let the collar hang past my shoulders. If there was one thing I learned in Yamato, it's that drunk sailors can never resist a Siren's voice. _What song, what song?_ I strummed the guitar loudly, instantly grabbing the attention of the men closest to me. _It's a start…_

~  
I see you over there, so hypnotic  
Thinkin' 'bout what I'd do to that body  
I get you like ooh baby baby, ooh baby baby…  
~

I sang it slowly in a sultry voice, strumming light chords on the guitar. More of the men started to turn to look at me as my voice filled the room.

~  
Got no drink in my hand, but I'm wasted  
Gettin' drunk on the thought of you naked  
I get you like ooh baby baby, ooh baby baby…  
~

The men started to quiet down allowing my song to reach the other end of the bar. I made eye contact with as many as I could, trying to captivate them. It had been a long time since I had sang in front of men, and I could feel my voice shaking. My chest tightened. But I had to keep going.

~  
And I ain't tryin' to fight it, to fight it  
But you're so magnetic, magnetic  
Got one life, just live it, just live it  
Now relax, n' get on your back!

If you wanna scream, yeaaaa-aaah..  
Lemme know n' I'll take you there  
Get you goin' like ah-ooh  
Baby baby, ooh baby baby...  
~

The men started to hoot and holler at me. I sang louder. I looked at the crew and motioned with my head to tell them to get the fuck out of here. They took the hint and started to edge over to the side door. Thomas wasn't budging, though, he kept staring at me. Christopher grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him out.

~  
Boy tonight you're the prey, I'm the hunter  
Take you here, take you there, take you under  
Imagine me whisperin' in your ear  
That I wanna, take off all your clothes n' put somethin' on ya  
~

The men were getting rowdy with their catcalls and whistling. But then there was a bigger commotion at the back where they sounded profoundly pissed off.

Drunken Bastard 1 - "They're gone! Where'd they fuckin' go?"  
Drunken Bastard 2 - "Let's go git 'em!"

A bunch of the men ran out the doors in a fiery rage. The ones closest to me looked at me suspiciously.

Alex - "Ahem. So, that's all for now, thanks for listening, I'll see you never!"

I picked up my skirt, ran out the back door, through the kitchen, and out into an alleyway. I faintly heard a man yell, "She's one o' them! Git her…."

With pounding heart and quickening breath I started to run. I didn't even reach the end of the alley when a sharp pain shot up my thigh. I fell to the ground. _Dammit! My leg, it hasn't healed yet?_ It was good enough for walking, but not enough for running for my life, apparently. I got up and rounded the corner, trying to hop, skip, and jump my way back to the ship.

"Aaah!"

I caught a glimpse of Morgan's face before he flung me over his shoulder.

Morgan - "There you are!"  
Alex - "Captain?! Where is everyone?"  
Morgan - "Back at the ship by now."  
Alex - "You came back for me?"  
Morgan - "Of course! No man left behind!"

He weaved through the streets trying to lose the mob of angry men. Up this hill, down these stairs, through this side street, around this corner - suddenly, bright moonlight spilled out onto the cobblestone and the sound of the ocean wasn't muffled anymore. _We're almost there!_ I pushed myself up on Morgan's back to look in front of us. I could see the rest of the Sirius crew waving us over and preparing to cast off. Morgan lept up the gangplank and as soon as we were on, Russell and Christopher pulled it up. The rest of the crew pushed us off, putting us out of jumping range from the drunken gang. We jeered at the men on shore. My blood was pumping with adrenaline, it felt fantastic. I stepped up on the railing, grabbing a rope to steady myself, and yelled,

"How'd you like my singing, boys?!"

I was feeling pretty proud of myself. My plan had actually worked! I turned around, smiling widely, expecting to see a happy crew. Instead I was met with several different expressions, none of which were happy. Their faces looked so ghostly in the moonlight. I picked up my skirt and jumped back down. I was a little embarrassed after realizing my blouse was still hanging off me, so I adjusted it. I put my hair back up in a low ponytail.

Alex - "Is… everyone okay?"  
Thomas - "Miss Alex… You have a beautiful voice."

Thomas's face could have been mistaken for a tomato. He looked at the ground and shuffled his feet.

Eduardo - "That was quite the distraction." He seemed pleased, but looked very serious. "But… how does a young virgin like you know how to seduce men like that?"  
Alex - "Uh… well, it's easier when they're drunk…"  
Morgan - "Let's get out to safe waters first. You've got a great story to tell, I hope!" Morgan smiled.

Eduardo took to the helm as the men unfurled the sails. _What will they think of me when I tell them of my past?_ I didn't want to think about it. I remained silent as I helped Thomas tie up some ropes. He couldn't look me in the eye.

We all settled on crates on the deck with a cluster of lanterns in the middle. Shadows flickered across the men's faces. Everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Morgan needed to have a drink in his hand so Thomas grabbed some booze from the hull, and soon everyone had a mug of their own.

Christopher - "Alex, how do you know how to sing like that?"  
Alex - "I learned… when I was fifteen…"  
Christopher - "Fifteen?!"

I took a deep breath before launching into my story. I had grown up in an orphanage one town over from Yamato, but when I was twelve they had to kick me out since it was too full. They didn't have enough space and were sending the older ones away. I didn't have anything to my name except an old necklace that I had on me when I was abandoned. I travelled to Yamato and began begging in the streets, and sometimes I'd have to steal food, clothes, and other items when begging didn't bring in enough money. I became a pretty good pickpocket. I slept in the streets with the other homeless children. Somehow I figured out that singing in the streets got me more money, so I started to do that. When I was fourteen, a couple ladies asked if I'd like to stay with them, and that maybe they'd have a job for me. I agreed immediately. I didn't even think about what the job could be. The thought of a warm, dry bed was too enticing.

They brought me to a large house with many rooms. I wondered if it was a mansion, but as it turned out it was a brothel. A brothel called Sirens. It was notorious for its beautiful women who would both sing to and pleasure men. They had a bar on the ground floor where the ladies would sing and entertain. The ladies had picked me up because of my voice, not realizing how young I was. When they found out, they argued with the owner to not use me to pleasure men, but to keep my virginity and use it as a sort of 'bait' to draw in more clients. As I told my story, I realized how crude and dirty it made me sound. I hesitated to continue.

Christopher - "And the ladies there, they taught you how to sing?"  
Alex - "Yeah… They were very nice to me and very protective. Whenever a man got too close, they'd come over and distract him. They were like my guardian angels. They trained me in singing and in, um, attracting, I mean, entertaining men. I had a room, a bed, hot meals every day. It was nice, compared to the streets, but, well, it didn't last long."  
Morgan - "What happened?"  
Alex - "Um…"

As I told the rest of the story, I could only talk to the ground. I kept rubbing my arm, I felt so embarrassed.

One night the owner took me to his office. He was in some talks with clients who were interested in buying my virginity, and they were coming by that night. Before they arrived, the two ladies who had taken me in managed to sneak me out. They gave me a few supplies and told me to run west to a small village outside of Yamato and ask for Mildred. They kissed my forehead with tears in their eyes and apologized for getting me involved.

Alex - "How could I be mad at them, I'm the one who said yes. And they treated me so well for the year I was there. They taught me so much and protected me. All I could do was pray for their safety. They would for sure get caught by the owner, and I didn't know what would happen to them. I didn't want to leave!"

My voice cracked and I started sobbing.

Alex - "But I had no choice! I had to!"

The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. It was the lowest moment of my life, abandoning them and possibly leaving them to a fate that was worse than what mine would have been. I hated it, and I never wanted to feel that way again. I never wanted to feel like I had to be protected, and that people had to sacrifice themselves for me. But it was hard not to feel like that on a pirate ship. I felt a hand on my head. I looked up to see Christopher with a sad look on his face. My vision was blurred from tears, but I think everyone else looked very solemn as well. Christopher pulled me into a hug. He rubbed away my tears with his soft hands.

Christopher - "That's too much for a young girl."  
Russell - "Men who sell children. They're scum."  
Morgan - "Young girls shouldn't be doing that kind of work…"  
Alex - "Well… The work wasn't that bad, since I only did the singing."  
Nathan - "Yer cryin over it..."  
Alex - "I never said that I didn't like it. Actually, I'm embarrassed because… I did like it."

Christopher pulled back to look at me, puzzled.

Alex - "It's not the most honest work, but it was the first thing I was ever good at. I wouldn't want to do it forever, I don't want that kind of life. But it's fun to sing! And have people enjoy it, and even pay to come and hear you sing. Even though, it was, well, not just for the singing they wanted. I didn't much like how the men treated me, but the ladies told me I had the sweetest voice and that's why they liked me... Haha." I rubbed the back of my head.  
Morgan laughed. "Even in a situation like that, you have such a pure reason to do what you did."  
Thomas - "You're just sad about not helping those ladies?"  
Alex - "Yeah… I never went back there. I was too scared, and they told me to never go back. I don't even know if they're…"

I didn't want to think about whether they were alive or not.

Alex - "But, if I ever see that brothel owner again, no mercy!" I slammed a fist into my hand.  
Russell laughed. "Yah? And what would ya do?"  
Alex - "Um. I dunno. But something bad! He deserves it."

The crew laughed mockingly. They all thought I wasn't strong enough to hurt anyone.

Eduardo - "How about this. We'll go over there together and give this guy a thrashing. Poke his eyes out."  
Alex - "Ugh, gross Eduardo."

The mood lightened up on the ship. Morgan asked Eduardo to change the bearing and head to Moldor. Eduardo did not look happy about it. One by one, the crew retired for the night. I wasn't very sleepy, so I decided to walk around the ship a bit before bed. The moon was large tonight. It gave everything a silver tinge. Even the stars seemed a bit brighter, as if competing with the moon. The breeze was nice, but a bit too chilly. I shivered. A heavy coat fell over my shoulders. I looked over to see Morgan join me by the railing.

Morgan - "Alex…"  
Alex - "Captain?"  
Morgan - "... I'm sorry."  
Alex - "For what?"  
Morgan - "For my behaviour that first night you were here."  
Alex - "..."  
Morgan - "I didn't think you'd turn out to be such a… You have a courageous, yet innocent soul. Unlike any woman I've encountered. It's the kind of soul that I shouldn't think I can tarnish. I was wrong to treat you that way."  
Alex - "Um…" _Did he just call me a woman?  
_ He chuckled, as if he'd amused himself. "You have your own… weird way of doing things. And it's what makes a man like me unworthy."

He moved closer and gently stroked my cheek. His hand was rough and calloused, but it was comforting. He looked at me in a sad, loving way. It made my heart flutter. I could get lost in his gaze and be perfectly fine with it.

Morgan - "I won't pursue you… You deserve better."

 _What does he mean, I deserve better..._

He took his hand away and walked back to the cabin. Just like that, the moment was gone. I tucked his coat tighter around me, very confused. He used to look at me like I was just another conquest, but he was different now. And even though what he said sounded like a rejection, it felt like a confession.

 _A confession of what?_

* * *

Lyrics from Scream by Usher, based off of the acoustic version sung by Corey Gray.


	7. Chapter 7

Previously on Pirates In Love...

Morgan - "I won't pursue you… You deserve better."

Alex - _What does he mean, I deserve better..._

He took his hand away and walked back to the cabin. Just like that, the moment was gone. I tucked his coat tighter around me, very confused. He used to look at me like I was just another conquest, but he was different now. And even though what he said sounded like a rejection, it felt like a confession.

 _A confession of what?_

* * *

The next day, Christopher asked me to help him in the sick bay. He had restocked on his herbs and ointments in Hoenn, and even bought some new ones, and now he wanted to organize them. The table was littered with pouches of herbs and bottles of oils, ointments, and disinfectants. There were piles of twine and small slips of parchment. It smelt even more fragrant than usual. Christopher bundled up some dark green stalks that smelt like musty hay and tied some twine around it. I placed my finger over the knot while he tied a bow to fasten it.

Alex - "Um, am I really helping? I feel like I'm just poking things…"  
Christopher - "Sure you are! I can't do that on my own, and you're fingers are so tiny it makes it easier."

I puffed out my cheeks. _Everyone always talking 'bout how small I am, and in the way. If I'm so tiny, how can I be in the way so much. Don't they know girls are just tinier? Have they been around each other too long that they forgot what girls look like…_ I grumbled on in my head for a bit. I hadn't slept much the night before and was in a terrible mood.

Alex - "What is this herb? It smells awful."  
Christopher - "It's barberry. I steeped it in hot water and gave it to you when you were seasick."  
Alex - "Oh! It didn't taste nearly as bad as it smells…"

Christopher laughed.

Alex - "And this?" I pointed at one of the bottles left unlabelled.  
Christopher - "That's elderberry extract. It helps with pain and inflammation, and helps you heal from the common cold faster. Actually, could you write that down on this and tie it to the neck of the bottle?"

I wrote down 'elderberry extract' on a small piece of parchment, weaved some string through it and tied it to the bottle. I continued to ask questions about the different herbs and medicines he had. He told me about how to treat different wounds and poisons with them. I asked him how he could stitch someone up without throwing up. He laughed and said it came with the territory, he was used to it. He asked how my leg was doing. I said it was painful whenever I ran. He asked if he could look at it.

He placed his hand on my thigh and started feeling around, poking and prodding here and there, asking if there was any pain. I said no. I was feeling rather shy with his hand so far up my leg. I hoped he wouldn't notice my flushed face.

Christopher - "Oh, do you have a fever?" He placed a hand on my forehead.  
Alex - "No fever! This is just a little awkward."  
Christopher - "How so?"  
Alex - "Well, you're - you're hand and - I'm a woman and - you're a man."  
Christopher - "I need to feel your injury to know what's going on."  
Alex - "It's not just that!"  
Christopher - "Alex, you know I'd never try anything with you. You're… too young for me anyway."

Nathan walked into the sick bay just then.

Alex - "I'm not a kid!"  
Christopher smiled. "That's not what I meant. You've proven to all of us that you're a seductive woman."  
I blushed even more. "What?"  
Nathan - "... Yo Doc. No hittin' on Alex."  
Doc - "Hm? I wasn't hitting on her." He honestly looked like he didn't know what he was doing. _What an airhead...  
_ Nathan just shook his head. "Ya wanted ta take these stitches out?"  
Christopher - "Yes. Have a seat."

 _What does he mean?_ He didn't seem to want to talk about it, so I didn't push it any further. Also, Nathan was right there. _I don't know what anyone means on this ship!_ I was exasperated.

Nathan sat on the cot and removed his shirt. The sheets had been cleaned, but they were stained with blood, Nathan's blood. I didn't like seeing him here again with that huge wound on his back. I got a pang in my chest whenever I saw it. Seeing members of the crew getting hurt made me feel guilty. If they didn't have someone to protect, and waste energy on, they'd be better off... Christopher moved away and started gathering some tools. I stared at his back, frowning.

Christopher - "I don't think it's anything to worry about. Might just be that you're still healing. Just take it easy, okay?"  
Alex - "Okay…"  
Christopher - "I need to take the stitches out of Nathan's wound. Do you want to stay and be my assistant?"  
Alex - "Assistant? Um, okay."

Christopher handed Nathan a mug of booze. Aside from knocking him unconscious, it was the only anaesthetic on board. Christopher told me to unwrap his bandages and wash his wound while he set up. As I was rubbing the sponge on Nathan's back, I noticed he had many scars. I had never really seen any of the guys up close and shirtless, so I wondered if they all had scars like this. It would make sense, them being pirates and all. I thought about what the stories behind them could be. I traced a few of them on his back. Nathan shivered and turned his head to look at me. I immediately stopped and looked down, embarrassed that I was staring at and touching him. I completely focused on washing his wound. He turned back.

Christopher replaced me behind Nathan. He took a scalpel and cut the string along the wound. I handed him a pair of tweezers and a bowl. He began to carefully take out each strand of string. I poured Nathan another cup of booze. I got a few cloths and a bowl of water at Christopher's request and began wiping Nathan's back again. The little holes the string left behind were trickling thin lines of blood down his back. His large wound looked like it had closed up quite well. He was about halfway done when Eduardo popped his head into the room.

Eduardo - "Christopher, Captain wants to see you."  
Christopher - "Can it wait?"  
Eduardo - "He says it's urgent."  
Christopher sighed. "Alex, can you finish up for me?"  
Alex - "What? Me?"  
Christopher - "You just take out the rest of the stitches, apply some of this ointment, then bandage it up. Same way I showed you how to bandage your leg a while back."  
Alex - "Are you sure? I'm not a doctor…"  
Christopher - "You'd make a fine nurse, though. Don't worry, I'll check on it after."

He left. I stood still for a moment, in shock. I gathered my wits about me and sat behind Nathan. We were both silent while I worked. I kept having to brush my hair back. I was keeping it in a braid these days, but I had too many wisps that would blow about and tangle on the windy ship. It was frustrating.

Alex - "Ugh, stupid hair!"  
Nathan - "What's that?"  
Alex - "Nothing. Just my hair getting in my way…"

Nathan turned around and took his bandana off his head. He brushed my hair back and put it on my head, leaning forward to tie it at the back. His chest was right in front of my face. It too, had many scars. I tried to look somewhere else.

Nathan - "Better?"  
Alex - "Uh, yeah… thank you."

He turned around again and I continued my work. I double checked to make sure all the string was out. Dabbing a ball of cloth into the ointment, I gently patted it onto his wound. He flinched every now and then. _Must be the same one Russell drowned my leg in_. I finished by placing a long strip of gauze on the wound, then wrapping him up. I kept having to reach my arms around him to keep rolling the bandage. It was like I was frequently and awkwardly hugging him from behind. I usually liked the silence with Nathan, but this time it made me uneasy.

Alex - "Phew! All done."  
Nathan put his shirt back on. I cleaned up a bit and caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. I touched the bandana on my head, adjusting it a bit.  
Alex - "It looks like the one I have back at home!"  
Nathan - "..." Nathan just stared at me.  
Alex - "I mean, it's black instead of white, and a bit bigger, but when I'd bake I'd wear a baker's cap like this. It kinda feels the same."

I untied it and handed it back to Nathan. He didn't take it back.

Nathan - "Keep it."  
Alex - "Really? Are you sure?"  
Nathan - "I have lots… n' it looks good on ya."  
Alex - "Oh, thank you!" I smiled.

He blushed, mumbled "yer welcome" then left. I felt a little better. I folded the bandana so it wouldn't cover so much of my forehead. Nathan had a big head. And the bandana smelt like him. It was nice… _What am I thinking?_ I wrapped it around my head and tied it tight. Looking in the mirror, I admired it on me. It made me feel like I was at home, and it also made me look more like a pirate. I was very happy with it.

* * *

Thomas and I were pulling up the sails one day. We had to stop and drop anchor since a recent storm blew us off course. Eduardo and Captain were in the navigation room trying to figure out our location, but they wouldn't know for sure until nightfall and the stars came out, so we were anchored overnight.

The storm had been a mighty one. I swear it made the ship roll completely sideways. The rumbling of thunder and cracks of lightning were so much louder out here than on land. Everything inside the ship shook as if an earthquake was constantly passing through and lingering far too long. The crew handled the storm with ease, it was nothing new to them. Still, I worried about them. Somehow, through this unwanted captivity, they had become dear to me.

I had hid in Christopher's room since he wouldn't let me out on deck. I spent the night in his bed feeling nauseous again. Just when I thought the seasickness would never come back. I was in such a daze the whole time, I only vaguely remembered him stroking my hair back from my sweaty forehead, piling blankets on me, and leaving me herbal drinks. He was always extra concerned when I got sick. I realized that I had never really thanked him for taking care of me. He was the resident doctor, so I just got used to it. I made a mental note to show him my appreciation next time.

I was feeling boisterous as I always did after being sick. But since we were stalled, there was nothing to do on the ship. I walked around the hold looking at what was in storage. I ended up finding some capris and old shirts. I wore the capris since they fit, but the shirts were too big. I kept them anyway. _Maybe I can sew something nice out of them._ It was nice to wear longer pants. I would get cold at night in shorts. I went up to the deck. The ship had never been so still on open waters before. I got bored and started throwing some pebbles I found into the water, aiming at imaginary targets. Thomas came over with a couple of batons in his hand.

Thomas - "Wanna play a game?"  
Alex - "What kind of game?"  
Thomas - "It's called 'hide and hit'! Christopher said I should play it with you, it'll help you if we ever get attacked again, so you don't get hurt like last time."  
Alex - "Hide and hit? What do you do?"  
Thomas - "I'll close my eyes and count to ten. You go hide. I have to look for you, and when I find you, I get two chances to hit you." He waved the batons. "Christopher thinks it'll help you get familiar with the ship and its hiding places."  
Alex - "You have to hit me with those? And I don't want to hide, I want to help!"  
Thomas looked sad. "He just wants you to be safe… since you can't fight like we can."  
I sighed. "Alright, fine."  
Thomas smiled. "It'll be fun! I used to play it with the crew when I first joined. They always cheated though and would throw all kinds of stuff at me. Russell once threw a barrel and I fell overboard."  
I laughed. "Alright, let's play! No barrels."  
Thomas - "Agreed!"

Thomas started counting to ten and I ran below deck. I didn't think he'd check the ship's hold, plus there were a lot of nooks and crannies in there. Piles of crates and barrels were near the back and coils of rope wrapped around the pillars between the cannons. Most of the centre of the hull was clear since it's where the cannons were. I sequestered myself between some barrels and waited. A few minutes later, I heard a sound above my head. I looked up in time to see Thomas bonk me on the head with a baton.

Alex - "Ow!"  
Thomas - "Oh, sorry Miss Alex!"  
Alex - "That was fast…"  
Thomas - "You made it too easy, Miss Alex. The point of the game is to run from me. If you hide in a spot like this and an enemy finds you, you can't escape."  
Alex - "Oh, I see. Let's try again!"  
Thomas - "Okay!"

This time I hid under the stairs. When I could see his feet coming down the stairs, I became so nervous. My heart was in my throat. _What if he turns around, he'll definitely see me._ He continued some ways into the hull, and once his back was turned I made my escape. I tiptoed up the stairs to find a new hiding place on the deck. I had this fear of being hunted, but it was also a wonderful rush of excitement I'd never felt before.

After a few more trial runs, I was getting the hang of it. I even won a game, which was totally by accident because I tripped and fell and his second baton flew over my head. We switched roles every now and then. It was hard to begin with, but I was having fun with it soon. My leg hurt less and less the more we played. I found that I had pretty good aim whenever I was 'the finder'. One of the times as 'the hider' I had climbed on top of one of the smaller masts and waited, hoping he wouldn't notice. He came closer and closer. I tightened my bandana. Once he was close enough, I jumped down on top of him, yelling like an ape. I had landed a bit too hard and he ended up a little knocked out with swirls in his eyes.

Alex - "Oh, no, Thomas, are you okay? I didn't think I'd hurt you!"

I leaned over him, patting his cheek, trying to wake him up. He came to and went red in the face.

Thomas - "Ah, Miss Alex!"  
I smiled at him from above him. He sat up swiftly and hit my head. We both said "ow!" at the same time.  
Alex - "Damn, I guess you win."  
Thomas - "Huh?"  
Alex - "You hit me!" I pointed to my head. We both laughed.

Our game was interrupted when the sun started to set and it was getting too dark to play anymore. The Captain announced that tonight we would party, because why not? There was literally nothing else to do on the ship. I was all sweaty from playing the game, so I took a bath before joining the crew on deck.

Everyone was drunk by the time I finished bathing. Their loud voices echoed back to them on the silent ocean. The sky was clouded over tonight, so Eduardo was waiting for it to clear before taking a shot at navigation. I didn't know how well he could navigate when drunk seeing as the stars would probably be spinning for him, but the Captain was drunk all the time and he seemed to do okay. Maybe it's a pirate's secret. I certainly didn't think I could function when drunk. I was in the same boat as Thomas. Pun intended.

Morgan poured me a pint of beer, even though I refused. I took it anyway just so no one would complain about not having a drink in my hand. I didn't much care for the crew when they got this drunk. They'd always somehow get to poking fun at my womanhood. It was funny, but mostly left me uncomfortable. I looked around the ship and my eyes fell on the crow's nest high up in the sky. The tallest point of the ship. _I've never been up there before… and the ship is hardly swaying._ I'd always been afraid to go up because of the wind and the rolling of the ship, but there was barely any of that now. I snuck away from the festivities. Holding the mug of booze between my teeth, I climbed up the main mast. It took quite long to get up to the top and took a lot of willpower not to look down.

Up here there was a strong breeze, and the bobbing of the ship was more apparent from so high up. The view was very different. Even though it was dark, I could see beams of moonlight slipping through the cloudy sky, piercing the water and revealing foamy waves. I felt like I could almost touch the clouds above me and everything below was so tiny, so insignificant. I couldn't see anything except for darkness, maybe some faint outlines of the horizon or land, but I could have very well imagined those. It was a vast emptiness that felt like it went on forever, like I was at the centre of an ever expanding universe. I suddenly felt very lonely. I started humming a song to myself, rubbing my thumb on my mug. Singing it softly, I thought about how I was trapped on a ship with strangers and whether I'd ever get home…

~  
So you can keep me, inside the pocket of your ripped jeans  
Holdin' me closer 'til our eyes meet  
You won't ever be alone  
Wait for me to come home

Lovin' can hurt  
Lovin' can hurt, sometimes…  
~

Russell - "What're ya caterwaulin' 'bout up here?"  
Alex - "Jesus fucking Christ!"

Russell popped his head into the crow's nest and put his mug down on the floor. He pulled himself the rest of the way up.

Alex - "You scared me!"  
Russell - "Ya better be scared, it's dangerous here."  
Alex - "How?"  
Russell - "Ya could fall off. Long drop to the ground where you'll go splat."  
Alex - "There's a railing, I'm fine."  
Russell - "Shouldn't stand so close to the edge…"

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me towards him, stumbling a bit. He was quite tipsy. He wouldn't let go and just held me against him. I grabbed onto his arm to steady both of us.

Alex - "You shouldn't be up here! You're drunk, you're more likely to fall over the edge."  
Russell - "Cha, I'mma veteran. This is my post, I'mma seasoned lookout for the bein' said -" He let go of me. I turned around to face him. "Yer not allowed up here unless I'm up here."  
Alex - "Geez, fine…"

I crossed my arms and looked away from him, out to sea. _How come he always shows up whenever I'm alone and near the edges of things? I'm trying to be nice, but he's so callous..._ Russell leaned his back against the railing, propping his elbows up. He was looking out into the night as well. He looked peaceful for once.

Russell - "What ya doin' up 'ere anyway? Singin' like a banshee?"  
I frowned. "I just wanted to be alone…"

I did want to be alone, but I was also in need of some comfort, like when Charlie would wrap me in a blanket and hold me when I had one of my nightmares. But there's no way I'd get that on this boat, so I opted for isolation. Maybe Christopher would do that for me, but that wouldn't make me look like an adult as I claimed to be. And I certainly wasn't going to ask Russell. Singing was the only comfort I had right now, but this idiot didn't want to hear it…

Russell - "... What were ya singin'?"  
Alex - "Hm? Oh, I heard Mildred sing it once, and I asked her to teach it to me. She would always sing it when she was sad…"  
Russell - "That why yer singin' it?"  
Alex - "Huh?"  
Russell - "Are ya singin' it cuz yer sad?"  
Alex - "No!... I just…"

Russell looked at me fondly, but I didn't see it. I was too busy looking down at the deck avoiding eye contact.

Russell - "... Keep singin'."  
Alex - "What? Why? Didn't you say I sound like a banshee?"  
Russell - "I like banshees... I mean, ya sounded nice. Ya can keep singin', I don' mind."

I hesitated. I hadn't sang one on one in front of a man in a while, and the last time I did it was to entice him to pay me more. I didn't have that motive this time, though. I could sing for myself. I could sing from my heart. I picked up where I left off.

~  
Lovin' can hurt  
Lovin' can hurt, sometimes  
But it's the only thing that I know  
When it gets hard  
It can get hard sometimes  
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

Oh you can fit me, inside the necklace you got when you were 16  
Next to your heartbeat where I should be  
Keep it deep within your soul

And if you hurt me, that's ok, baby, only words bleed  
Inside these pages you just hold me  
And I won't ever let you go  
Wait for me to come home…  
~

It was silent for a while after I finished singing. All I could hear was the soft swish of the water, the quiet din of the crew's voices below. The rest of the world felt so far away from up here. Russell had turned to lean forward on his elbows. He was staring straight ahead, not even blinking, completely calm. I wondered what he could be thinking, since he usually spoke his mind, or rather shouted it.

Russell - "Heh, I guess ya sound better than a banshee."  
Alex - "Hey!"  
Russell - "I said ya sound better!"  
Alex - "Still, not much of a compliment…"  
Russell - "I've had enough up 'ere, I'm startin' ta sober up. Come on, ya go down first."  
Alex - "Why do I have to leave? I don't want to drink."  
Russell - "Ya don' remember what I just said? Ya can't be here if I'm not."

I grumbled and sat on the edge of the opening to the crow's nest. Before I could lower myself down the ladder, Russell put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, his face directly over mine.

Russell - "Alex…"

He grimaced a little, like he was struggling to say something.

Russell - "Next time… I'll be the one to protect ya, got it?"  
Alex - "Huh?"  
Russell - "I'll protect ya, yer less than useless if ya get hurt."  
 _There it is again, I'm useless!  
_ Alex - "I won't get hurt!"

Russell grabbed my shoulders roughly and shook me. "Ya will if ya keep doin' dumb stuff like last time! Just leave the fightin' ta me!"

He stared at me intently, brows furrowed. My eyes widened with fear and surprise. He was acting so… passionate. His face moved closer. I could feel my heart quickening. My body tensed up, I was paralyzed. He had me locked in his gaze. He pressed his forehead against mine.

 _What is he gonna do?_

* * *

Lyrics from Photograph by Ed Sheeran, based off of acoustic version by Karizma Duo.


	8. Chapter 8

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Russell - "Alex…"

He grimaced a little, like he was struggling to say something.

Russell - "Next time… I'll be the one to protect ya, got it?"  
Alex - "Huh?"  
Russell - "I'll protect ya, yer less than useless if ya get hurt."

 _There it is again, I'm useless!_

Alex - "I won't get hurt!"  
Russell grabbed my shoulders roughly and shook me. "Ya will if ya keep doin' dumb stuff like last time! Just leave the fightin' ta me!"

He stared at me intently, brows furrowed. My eyes widened with fear and surprise. He was acting so… passionate. His face moved closer. I could feel my heart quickening with nervousness. My body tensed up, I was paralyzed. He had me locked in his gaze. He pressed his forehead against mine.

 _What is he gonna do?_

* * *

I stared at him for what felt like forever, the ship swaying beneath us like a pendulum. We were the slow tick tocking of the sea. He closed his eyes.

Russell - "I will never let anyone hurt ya again."

I shied away from him. This was not the Russell I knew. It was too confusing. Was this because he was drunk? I didn't know what to say. Thank you? No thank you? That be jolly good of ya? I was starting to panic.

Alex - "Um… Russell… I -"  
"Oi! Wind's pickin' up, let's get 'er goin'!" Nathan yelled up at us from the deck.  
Russell - "Dammit, party's over. Move!"

I scurried down the ladder, not saying another word. I ran over to Thomas and asked what I could do to help. I couldn't be around Russell, not after that. I still didn't know what to say! Even after we'd unfurled the sails, I continued to avoid him. There was no way I could hide from him forever, but I had to try. I stepped into the navigation room, thinking it would be empty and quiet.

"What are you doing here?"  
"Eeep!"

I turned to see Eduardo seated at the table, maps spread around him, some pointy objects, and a compass in his hand. I thought I last saw him at the helm.

Alex - "I… am…" I spoke slowly, trying not to stutter and stalling so I could think of an excuse.  
Eduardo - "Hiding?"  
Alex - "... Yes."  
Eduardo - "From Russell?"  
Alex - "How'd you know?"  
Eduardo - "I don't hear his obnoxiously loud voice like always. He must be feeling off. Also you two were in the crow's nest together. Did something happen?"  
Alex - "No… I mean, it's no big deal."  
Eduardo - "Alex, you're a shitty liar."  
I sighed and sat down across from Eduardo. "He just… was nice and caring for once and I didn't know what to do. I'm used to him being… well, obnoxious."  
Eduardo - "Did he touch you?"  
Alex - "No! It's nothing like that. Why do you always go straight to that?"  
Eduardo shrugged. "You're on a ship with drunken pirates, it'd happen to any ordinary girl."  
Alex - "... Am I not… ordinary?"  
Eduardo smirked and changed the subject. "You can't avoid Russell forever."  
Alex - "I know… I just don't like that he thinks I have to be protected all the time. Christopher thinks the same, too! But I do fine on my own."  
Eduardo stared at me in disbelief. "Your bakery was ransacked and you almost got kidnapped by goons -"  
Alex - "That was just a bad day -"  
Eduardo - "- Only to pass out in a barrel, of all places, which inadvertently got you kidnapped by pirates."  
Alex - "That was a coincidence -"  
Eduardo - "You accepted a job from ladies who you didn't even know were prostitutes, and they had to constantly save you from men -"  
Alex - "Okay! I get it. I can't… survive on my own."  
Eduardo - "I don't know what makes you think you can survive on a pirate ship without one of us protecting you."  
Alex - "Because… if I can't, then there's no point… in living."  
Eduardo - "What kind of crap logic is that?"  
Alex - "If I can't survive on my own, I don't want to live! I don't want someone protecting me because I'm weak, I want them to do it because -"  
I stopped. I couldn't believe what I was about to say. Eduardo waited for me to continue.  
Eduardo - "Because?"  
Alex - "... I want them to protect me because… they love me."  
Eduardo - "... How do you know which one is Russell's reason?"  
Alex - "As if, Russell doesn't love me, he thinks I'm weak. No one's in love with me here, I'm just some girl you pirates found in a barrel. So my only option is to get strong, and be able to fight for myself." I swung my fists in the air, beating on invisible enemies.

Eduardo had paused his movements. I thought he was looking at me sadly until he blinked and went back to work.

Eduardo - "Captain would probably teach you. He's an excellent swordsman."  
Alex - "Would he? I'm afraid to ask…"  
Eduardo - "Or you can ask Russell. He's also a great fighter."  
Alex - "..."  
Eduardo snickered and shook his head. "I'm busy here, you need to either leave or shut up."

I didn't want to leave, so I stayed put and sat quietly. Eduardo was right. I wasn't very good at taking care of myself. Even at home, I always I had Charlie… How did I survive on my own as a child? … And on another note, there was nothing Russell had ever said or done to make me think that he loved me. He was always calling me weak anyway. And yelling, and pulling on my braid, and complaining that I'm a woman... I didn't want to think about it anymore, so I studied the tools on the table. There were things that looked like pencils but had no lead. More pointy things attached to each other. Something that looked like a triangular gear. And the compass. I had heard of compasses and what they did, but I'd never seen one and I didn't know how they worked.

Alex - "How does this work?" I pointed at the compass.

WHACK!

Alex - "Ow! What the hell…" Eduardo had reached over and smacked my head.  
Eduardo - "I said be quiet."  
Alex - "Fine…"

After a moment's silence, Eduardo spoke. "It tells me which direction North is."

Alex - "... How?"

Eduardo explained the cardinal directions to me, how the magnet made the arrow always point North, and by that he could tell which direction he was facing. I asked about the pointy objects. He said they helped calculate distances on a map. I asked how he navigated by looking at the stars. He explained that the stars' positions never change and based on their orientation, he could tell where we were. I continued to ask him about maps and navigation, fascinated by how much he knew. He was educated, and yet he was such a douche. Oddly, whenever I would try to talk about Moldor he would hit me for asking stupid questions, or just change the subject.

* * *

Russell had returned to normal the next day, and when I wanted to talk to him about what happened, he said he didn't remember. I was thinking about what Eduardo said about Russell, and wanted to know the truth. But it seemed that Russell just wanted to pretend like it never happened. Was he offended by how I didn't answer, by how I just avoided him? I felt bad about it all. But at least things were back to normal between us. Despite that, I found myself hanging out with the other crew members more, still avoiding him. Helping Nathan in the kitchen, playing hide and hit with Thomas, asking Doc and Eduardo all kinds of questions about their professions. Eduardo would get annoyed by me very easily and kick me out of the nav room all the time, but Christopher was very patient. I eventually got the courage to ask Morgan to train me in fighting. At first he thought it was a joke, but agreed to teach me. I got a few days of training in before reaching Moldor.

After being out at sea for three weeks, we were almost at Moldor. Eduardo said we'd get there tomorrow afternoon. I had kept quiet about the map he had found for this whole time, but it was really getting to me. I didn't like keeping secrets from the crew, especially if they were someone else's. I could only imagine how pissed they would be if they found out that I knew more than them about the treasure.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Alex - "Eduardo…?"

I opened his door and stepped inside, closing it behind me. Eduardo walked towards me and banged the door shut behind me. He loomed over me, angry… and shirtless.

Eduardo - "Do you have manners? You wait to be invited into someone's room!"  
Alex - "Sorry!"

He grabbed my hair and pushed me against the door. His bare chest was almost right up against mine.

Eduardo - "And next time, knock four times!"  
Alex - "Aaah, yes sir!"

He let go of me and walked back to his table and chair. His room was minimally furnished compared to the Captain's quarters. He just had the table and chair and a bed, some shelves, a wardrobe, and a chest. He had a lot of equipment neatly organized on the shelves. I could only guess that they were for navigation. The small chest was open just a crack, and I could see his pistols and rounds in there. There was a polishing cloth next to them, along with his boots in a neat row. Everything was so clean.

Eduardo - "What do you want?"  
Alex - "..."  
Eduardo - "Answer me."  
Alex - "I'm not comfortable that you haven't told anyone about the map you found… I don't know if it's any of my business, but shouldn't the crew know about it? I mean, even I know about it!"  
Eduardo - "Have you told anyone?"  
Alex - "No, of course not! But… it doesn't feel right, to keep it from them… Don't you trust them?"

Eduardo was silent for a bit, his back to me. After a long while he spoke.

Eduardo - "Come here."  
Alex - "Why?"  
Eduardo - "Don't question me!"  
Alex - "Okay!..."

I walked over to him hesitantly. His words echoed in my mind, _"You're on a ship with drunken pirates. It'd happen to any ordinary girl."_ He was already half naked. We were alone in his room. I stood beside him a good foot away. The map he had bought was on the table.

Eduardo - "See this script?"  
Alex - "Yeah."  
Eduardo - "It's old Ullr writing. This map piece is very old, older than the rumours we're hearing about the prince's treasure. This isn't related to what the Captain is trying to find."  
Alex - "... Then why did you get it?"

Eduardo reached up and took his eye patch off. I couldn't believe it. He always had that thing on. What kind of scar was it hiding? I would finally know… Instead of a scar, I saw a regular eye… but it was a different colour!

Alex - "Oh! Your eyes…"  
Eduardo - "I carry the blood of a Moldor and an Ullr. Eons ago when the two were at war, the Moldor empire was very close to getting their hands on the Ullr treasure. But they hid it before Moldor won the war. Moldor took the rest of their wealth away, and let them stay a separate nation, but they are forever in debt to Moldor. Moldor destroyed the people of Ullr… This could be part of a map that leads to that Ullr treasure."  
Alex - "You want to restore the Ullr empire?"  
Eduardo - "Yes… and I want to kill my father."  
Alex - "What?!"  
Eduardo - "He's Moldor. He forsook my mother and I, left us to rot to further his political game. He's a general at Moldor now…"

I didn't know that Eduardo had a past this difficult. I had never seen him so enraged. He was always cold and distant, aloof. He never let anything get to him. I wondered how hard of a time he had pretending everything was okay… I put a hand on his shoulder.

Alex - "I'm so sorry… that your people were treated so horribly."

He put his hand on mine, staring at the map.

Alex - "I still think you should tell the crew. They could help you find the treasure!"  
Eduardo - "... The Captain knows. And Christopher. It's why we're going to Moldor first, and not the Reiz empire."  
Alex - "Oh... I'm glad you told me, too, Eduardo. I was worried about you."  
Eduardo - "Heh, me?" He stood up and I took my hand off his shoulder. He grabbed the back of my neck and drew me close to him. "If you tell any of the other crew, I'll have to punish you."  
I gulped. "I won't!"  
Eduardo - "Promise?"  
Alex - "I promise! My lips are sealed!"

He stared at me for a moment.

Eduardo - "Maybe I should seal them for you…"

He brought my face closer to his. His words left me breathless. But I couldn't let him get at me so easily. His lips were about to touch mine when I pushed him away.

Alex - "Sorry!"

I ran out of his room, down the stairs, and into Thomas's bunker. I was breathing hard even though I didn't run far. _That Eduardo, he really pushes his luck, doesn't he…_ Every time I'd get close to him in some way, he'd always do something stupid and forward like that. Or he'd hit people. He really wanted to keep people at a distance. Not that I wanted to get close to him. Not that I cared… right? These weird encounters with the men on this ship left me confused, so confused. This was the most emotional journey of my life. It made me miss the simplicity of home. I can't believe I even considered staying on this ship. I can't believe I tried so hard for their approval. Would I ever get back home?

* * *

Since the navy would be on the lookout for pirates, especially the Sirius pirates, we couldn't go straight to a port. So, when we arrived at Moldor, we anchored near an uninhabited beach. It was cloudy, but the beach looked sunny. What light came through bounced off the water and sand. The rain left on the plants and trees shimmered. There were dirt trails going into the forest, like a sandy red carpet leading to the main city. Captain assigned teams and sent everyone off, except Thomas who would stay behind to watch the ship. I got paired with Eduardo again.

Alex - "Aw, man…"  
Eduardo - "Are you upset?"  
Alex - "Aren't I just gonna get in your way?"  
Eduardo - "Please." He smirked, "I requested you."

He walked ahead of me off the ship and into the rowboat, leaving me shocked. Why me? Was he gonna find some way to kiss me again? Despite his deep dark secret, he really had a one track mind, always stationed in the gutter. We reached the beach, dragged the rowboat onto the shore and headed to the main city of Moldor.

It was even more crowded than Hoenn. The streets were covered in dirt and there were so many arches it felt like we were in a cave. It had just rained, so everything smelled dank and moldy, and the number of ragged commoners crowding the streets didn't help. There were mostly food vendors clogging the air with various smells. It was cloying. Eduardo grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me through the smelly, smoky crowd, keeping to the smaller streets and cutting through alleys. We were soon separated from everyone else.

Alex - "What are we looking for?"  
Eduardo - "It's who are we looking for."  
Alex - "Okay then, who?"  
Eduardo - "The merchant who sold the man in Hoenn the map piece."  
Alex - "What about the prince's treasure?"  
Eduardo - "The other guys are handling that. We have our own agenda."

 _Maybe that's why he picked me… I'm one of the only ones who knows about the other map._ We looked for hours, but no one knew of such a merchant. We began to think that maybe the merchant in Hoenn had lied to us. We were stopped by a crowd of people trying to squeeze through the middle of the street. As we waited for it to clear a little bit, I heard faint marching sounds coming from behind us.

Alex - "Eduardo! Do you hear that?"  
Eduardo - "Yeah."

He was already trying to find a way out, but with the road blocked in front of us and no alleyways on our sides, we were trapped. It sounded like a big group of navy soldiers approaching us. We could only hope that they wouldn't recognize us. They were coming closer and soon the tips of their raised bayonets came into view. The lump in my throat got bigger.

Eduardo - "Don't move."

He shoved me against the wall just as the navy came up to us. He cupped my cheek in one hand while the other grabbed my arm. I could only utter "What're you -?" before his lips were on mine. My eyes widened in surprise.

 _Eduardo, what are you doing?_


	9. Chapter 9

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Eduardo - "Don't move."

He shoved me against the wall just as the navy came up to us. He cupped my cheek in one hand while the other grabbed my arm. I could only utter "What're you -?" before his lips were on mine. My eyes widened in surprise.

 _Eduardo, what are you doing?_

* * *

His body and lips were pressed up against me. He gripped my arm so hard it hurt. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even think. A million questions ran through my mind, the most important one being, _WHAT THE FUCK EDUARDO?_ _THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS._ My heart beat so fast from his sudden move, and the approaching soldiers made it worse. I could hear the navy's boots stomping right in front of us, then past us, then farther away…

He released me, and I started breathing again, heavily. He smiled at me.

Eduardo - "Made you a little hot, did I?"  
Alex - "No! You scared me. What the hell was that?"  
Eduardo - "I needed to hide my face without being suspicious. They'd recognize me right away."  
Alex - "You couldn't have just hid in a group of people? There's tons around here."  
Eduardo - "It's not that easy… I do have an eyepatch, y'know. Pretty obvious. And stop complaining, it worked, didn't it?"  
Alex - "I guess you're right…" I grumbled.  
Eduardo - "Let's head back to the ship… There are too many soldiers now."

We snuck our way back, slinking behind groups of soldiers, hiding around corners, and at one point I shoved Eduardo into a bale of hay and pretended I was a beggar. He didn't like that one bit.

Eventually, everyone returned to the ship, empty handed. No one got any new information about the prince's treasure. The Captain decided that we stay a few more nights, but we moved to a more secluded area of water so as not to be detected by the navy. The forest surrounding Moldor was wild. Giant palm trees curved over the ship from the shore, grass as tall as myself grew in thick patches everywhere, and gnarly roots covered the ground. Despite the sophistication of the city, Moldor was quite the tropical land. I noticed the days were getting hotter. I had switched back to shorts and a tshirt, and would occasionally tie up my shirt to expose my midriff, trying to cool down.

I asked for a quick training session from the Captain since I couldn't sleep. He was awake anyway, drinking. He tossed me the dagger I had been using. We sparred for a bit. Even though he was drunk, I still couldn't manage to get close to hitting him. I got frustrated. I was sweaty and had a headache. I yelled angrily and thrust my dagger at a pole. It hit dead centre.

Morgan - "Haha, nice shot! Was that on purpose?"  
Alex - "Huh? Well, I was aiming for the pole, I guess."  
Morgan - "Hmm… wait here."

He ran into the hull and came back with some smaller knives.

Morgan - "These knives are specifically weighted for throwing. Try them out."

I took them from him and bounced them in my hand. They were heavier than most knives at the point. Gripping the point, I chucked it at the mast that had my dagger lodged in it. It landed right beneath the dagger.

Morgan rubbed his chin. "You're pretty good at that."  
Alex - "I've had a lot of practice."  
Morgan - "Throwing knives?"  
Alex - "Throwing anything. Sticks, stones, bits of wood. I was bored a lot as a kid, and even when I moved in with Charlie. I'd go out to the beach and throw stuff, skip stones. I stole some senbon when I was in Yamato and threw those at a wooden fence before they got stolen from me. I've probably thrown a knife or two before."

I picked up another knife and threw it at the pole. It landed directly over the dagger. I threw one sideways and it landed between the knives. Morgan laughed.

Morgan - "Looks like we found your signature weapon!"

I smiled. Who knew that being bored as a child would pay off. Morgan grabbed the knives and dagger out of the pole. He handed them to me.

Morgan - "I've got a belt that these fit in. And a sheath for the dagger. Why don't you keep them?"  
Alex - "Really? Are you sure?"  
Morgan - "No one else is using them. And I trust you not to do anything stupid, like stab one of us. Haha!"

 _Was he actually joking? Such dark humour…_ My own set of weapons… Finally something to show that I'm capable of protecting myself! I couldn't believe it. I was so excited.

Morgan - "Don't get too excited now."  
Alex - "Why not? I'm so grateful! I'll cherish these gifts."

I held the knives against me and smiled at the Captain. He looked away and scratched his face.

Morgan - "I just mean, carrying weapons like that, lookin like a pirate, hanging with pirates, it all comes with consequences."  
Alex - "I feel like I've got some experience with that already."  
Morgan looked surprised, but then laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right!" He patted me on the back. "Welcome to the club!"

 _Welcome to the club, huh..._ I had joined a secret club. Well, not so secret. Pirates, especially the Sirius pirates, were pretty well known. Once I put these weapons on, there was no way I could pass for a commoner on land. Even as a girl, especially as a girl, I would look awfully suspicious. It was bittersweet… The guys were really changing, though, treating me a little better. Treating me like one of them. It was nice! But… I thought of Yamato. It meant I could never go back there and stay. I could never return to my old life. The navy had seen me with the Sirius crew. Morgan was right. If I walked back into Yamato looking like I do now, the navy would find me eventually and toss me into prison for being in cahoots with pirates.

I could hear Morgan yelling, "We're having a party! Thomas, find the kegs!"

I wondered how much I would have to drink to gain everyone's acceptance of me as a fellow felon. My face paled at the thought. Morgan mentioned the dangerous consequences, but I had forgotten about the alcoholic ones. Thinking about Yamato though, I thought I needed a good night of drinking to forget about my troubles.

After Morgan handed me a belt and sheath, I fixed the dagger onto my waist and the knives onto my thigh. The blades glinted in the moonlight. Thomas mentioned that I should probably hide them a little better. Honestly, I think he was just nervous about how much skin I was showing these days. I ran down to where I kept the shirts I found a while back. After some time tearing and sewing, I tied a triangular sash around my waist, covering the knives and revealing only the hilt of my dagger. I rejoined the men on deck, some of whom had woken up to start drinking and partying in my name.

We all drank copious amounts of alcohol. We laughed and joked, and shared stories of what happened to us in Moldor. I kept quiet about Eduardo and I, but that didn't mean Eduardo would follow suit. He spilled the beans about stealing my first kiss.

Eduardo - "It was Alex's idea. She wanted to kiss me."  
Alex - "It was not! You did it without even asking!"  
Russell - "He kissed ya?!"

I crossed my arms and remained silent. I didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Eduardo - "Jealous?"  
Russell - "Tch! No!"  
Eduardo - "I only did what you don't have the guts to do."  
Russell - "Are ya deaf? I didn't say I wanted to."  
Eduardo - "Heh. Sure."

Russell scowled.

The night wore on with chirps and quips and teasing and jokes. I started to feel a little sick. I wondered if the seasickness was coming back. Oh, Christopher wouldn't be happy about that. Or would he, since he would get to take care of me. Oh, right, I still needed to thank him. I couldn't go on thinking about it. I ran to the other end of the boat and nearly tossed myself over the railing vomiting into the sea. All that came out was the liquid I had just drank. It felt awful. I groaned for a while, nursing my stomach by the edge of the ship.

Nathan - "Hey, ya alright?"  
Alex - "Hey Nathan… Oh, I'm fine. Just dying."  
He laughed. "Call me Nate."  
Alex - "Wuh?"  
Nathan - "The boys all call me Nate. Yer like, one o' us now, so call me Nate."  
Alex - "Hokay, Nate."

Nathan and I chatted for a bit, but I don't think I made much sense. Either that or I was really funny because he kept laughing at me. Every now and then he'd help me stand up again.

Nathan - "I have somethin' for ya."  
Alex - "Oooo, what is it?"

He grabbed my bandana and pulled it over my eyes.

Alex - "Hey!"

Something smooth passed between my lips and into my mouth. It was chewy. And minty and sweet! I smiled and lifted my bandana. Nathan had an empty wrapper in his hand.

Alex - "Caramel! Mmmm, thank you!"  
Nathan - "More for my sake. Your breath is awful."  
Alex - "Hey!" I covered my mouth. "I's not ma fault!"

We laughed.

It was one of the happiest days of my life. But it was followed by the worst. I had my first, and what I hoped would be the only, awful hangover I would ever have. I was so down and out that I couldn't join the rest of the crew in Moldor that day. Instead I stayed on the ship with Thomas, who sat by my bed telling me stories of the Sirius' past adventures.

Alex - "Hey Thomas."  
Thomas - "Yes Miss Alex?"  
Alex - "Why did you join the Sirius? What did you do before being a pirate?"

Thomas went quiet. His eyes grew sad and clouded, like he was remembering something painful. I felt I'd asked the wrong question.

Alex - "You don't have to answer! I'm sorry if it was too much…"  
Thomas - "No, I want you to know." He smiled sadly.

Thomas told me of his simple life as a blacksmith's son. It was good up until their home, Prica Island, was attacked by the royal family of Reiz because the island was accused of treason. _The entire island? Is that even possible?_ Thomas didn't know the details, but both his parents had died after they tossed him into a boat and told him to flee. He had gotten lost at sea for quite a bit until the Sirius had found him. They dropped him off at Prica Island where the battle was long over. He had a chance to bury his parents before pleading with the Sirius crew to let him come with them. They agreed on the condition that he pull his weight on the ship and do some (more like most) of the work.

Thomas - "And now we're here!" He still managed to smile after that harrowing story.  
Alex - "Oh, Thomas…" I had tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry!" I hugged him tightly.  
Thomas - "M-Miss Alex?!"  
Alex - "I'm so sorry! That's horrible. You lost them both so fast…" I sobbed on his shoulder while he patted me on the back.  
Thomas - "Miss Alex… I'm okay." I pulled back and looked at him. "It was years ago. I'm sad that they're gone, but they'll always be with me in my heart. And I have these keepsakes to remember them by."

Thomas pulled out a pendant necklace and his shortsword. They both had identical symbols on them. The symbols looked familiar… Where had I seen them before?

Alex - "What is that?"  
Thomas - "It's the Reiz empire's stamp. It represents them. You can see it on their flag."  
Alex - "So… you're a citizen of Reiz then?"  
Thomas - "Yeah. Sort of. It's why Captain doesn't want me in Moldor. They trade with each other, but the Moldor people and the Reiz are not friendly with each other."  
Alex - "Wow… Your story is so inspiring!"  
Thomas - "Huh?" He had a blank look on his face.  
Alex - "You became a great pirate after losing everything… You're my inspiration! I'll be a great pirate, too."

Thomas blushed and rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't look me in the eye. _Ah, he's so shy…_

Thomas - "Th-thank you Miss Alex. You're so kind."

We looked at each other for a moment. It was blissful -

BANG!

Eduardo - "Hey you two lovebirds, get up here!"

Both of us said, "Yes sir!" and ran up the stairs. Thomas and I were used to the jokes the crew made about us at this point. Always poking fun about how we'd make a good couple since we were so close in age. We reached the deck where the Sirius crew was gathered.

Morgan - "We've got it!"

He waved a half map in the air. We all cheered.

Morgan - "We can celebrate later. The navy might be hot on our heels."  
Alex - "Where'd you find it?"  
Morgan - "We didn't find it so much as… took it, from unwilling hands."  
Alex - "Oh… Ooh! Crap we gotta go."  
Morgan - "Men, hoist the sails, let's get goin'! Eduardo, bring us 'round Moldor!"  
Eduardo - "Yes, sir!"  
Alex - "Um, I'll go with you!"

I ran after Eduardo and joined him in the nav room. I could hear the creaks and groans of the ship as the crew prepared for sailing, they shouted orders all over the ship. Eduardo stood at the table, leaning over the map and studying it intensely. It was like he didn't even know I was there.

Alex - "Eduardo?"  
Eduardo - "Now's not the time."  
Alex - "I just wanted to know if you found anything out about the Ullr map, too…"

Eduardo simply reached into his coat and handed me a piece of rolled parchment. Feeling the coarse parchment's fragility, I opened it slowly. It looked exactly like the other parchment, but less Ullr script and bolder outlines of islands and water.

Eduardo - "This one is better preserved. I still need to restore the other one. Based on these two pieces, though, I think there is only one more."  
Alex - "This is amazing! Can you tell what part of the world this map shows?"  
Eduardo - "I'm not sure yet, Alex." He snatched the map from me. "But like I said, it's not important right now. We have more pressing matters -"

A commotion on the deck caught our attention. It didn't sound like the usual hustle and bustle of preparing the ship. There were many more men stomping around on the deck than in the Sirius crew.

Eduardo - "This is bad."  
Alex - "Is it the navy?"  
Eduardo - "Most likely. A lot of them, too… Maybe 15, 20. We can get the upper hand if I can ambush them. But they need to be distracted."

I remembered something Christopher told me. He had me hang onto some herbs in case of an emergency. The herb was too old and, therefore, useless in medicine, but it could provide a good distraction if I ever needed to escape. I knew Christopher wouldn't like me using it to attack, but I wasn't the kind of girl to run and hide. Christopher would have to just deal with that. I frantically started searching in drawers for some matches.

Eduardo - "What are you doing?"  
Alex - "I'll make a distraction. Some of the men will come down here to investigate the smoke, but the rest will be looking at the bow and not the stairs to the hull. You can take out the guys that come into the hull, and hopefully the rest of the crew will get the idea." I found the matches. "Do you think it'll work?"  
Eduardo was very surprised. "That's a good plan, coming from you."  
I grinned. "Thank Christopher, he's the one who taught me this."

We split up. Eduardo positioned himself at the bottom of the stairs. I ran into the storage section of the hull with a bucket of water. I threw some water on crates by the gun ports. Placing the herbs on the crates, I lit up the bunch closest to the bow and waited. The herb smoked up easily. Black clouds floated out of the gun port and up the side of the ship, and a bit of it clouded the air around me.

Soon I heard yelling up top and feet thundering down the stairs. Shots rang out. Eduardo was on the move. I quickly ran to the other bunches I had set up and lit them. Then I hid behind some crates. It didn't take long for the foggy smoke to fill the hull. _As long as no more than two guys come down here, I'll be fine._ I could hear the clamour of fighting on deck. I thought back to when Thomas and I would play hide and hit. It was the real deal now.

Navy Bastard 1 - "The smoke is coming from over here!"  
Navy Bastard 2 - "Damn, it's real smokey… You think they'd really set their own ship on fire?"  
I heard a third, unfamiliar voice. "We need to make sure, we're on this ship too. We could get caught in the fire."

 _Dammit!_ I could hear them separating, taking different sections of the hull to search. _One to my left… One right behind… One on my right._ The one on my right was closest. If I could take him out, then I could hide by the crates next to the opposite wall… _Take him out? Does that mean I have to kill him?_ I started shaking. I wasn't ready for this kind of fight. What other consequences about being a pirate had I not thought through? It did occur to me that killing people was a part of the lifestyle, but I didn't expect the opportunity to come up so soon... I gripped my dagger, trying to steady myself. I didn't want the crew doing the fighting for me for the rest of my life. It was time to become a real pirate.

He was coming closer. I peered around the bottom of the crate. I could see him moving slowly, parallel to me, not towards me. My heart was throbbing in my ears. It was a wonder the soldiers down here didn't hear it, it was so loud. _Maybe if I'm quiet enough, I can just sneak out._ I took a small, tentative step forward…

CREAK!

I froze and squeezed my eyes shut. _Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuckity, fucking shit, fuck!_

Navy Bastard 1 - "Over there!"

I heard their footsteps running towards me. I had to move. I had to move now. But my limbs were frozen with fear. _This isn't the time for this, Alex. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do._ I forced my fingers to wrap around two throwing knives. Taking a deep breath, I leapt out and threw them.


	10. Chapter 10

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Navy Bastard 1 - "Over there!"

I heard their footsteps running towards me. I had to move. I had to move now. But my limbs were frozen with fear. _This isn't the time for this, Alex. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do._ I forced my fingers to wrap around two throwing knives. Taking a deep breath, I leapt out and threw them.

* * *

The first one missed, but the second one caught his shoulder. He yelled out in pain, then charged at me, smoke billowing around him. The other two soldiers were not far behind. He thrust his sword down on me and I barely had time to block it with my dagger. The blow sent me crashing to the ground. He raised his sword, preparing for another swing.

Navy Bastard 2 - "Wait!"  
Navy Bastard 1 - "..."  
Navy Bastard 2 - "It's a woman…"  
Navy Bastard 3 - "The hell's a woman doing on board?"  
Navy Bastard 2 - "Let's take her captive!" He moved towards me.  
Navy Bastard 1 - "If she's got weapons, then she's one of them! I say we kill her."  
Navy Bastard 2 - "Are you insane? She could be a civilian -"  
Navy Bastard 3 - "Doesn't look like a civilian to me."

I had stood up and gotten into a defensive position with my dagger at the ready. There was no way I'd be able to defeat all three of these guys. And clearly injuries didn't stop them from attacking. The only way I'd be clear of them is if I cleared them out… completely. I gritted my teeth. _Was I capable of doing such a thing?_

Navy Bastard 2 - "Let's just take her up to -"

BANG!

The soldier grabbed his shoulder which was now spouting blood. Two more shots rang out and the other two fell to the ground. I stared at the two fallen soldiers with bullet holes in their brains. Their eyes were already glossed over and empty. Eduardo emerged from between the crates and aimed his gun at the first soldier. My heart leapt into my throat. All it did was click.

Eduardo - "Damn. I'm out."

The soldier looked relieved for a moment. So was I. Then Eduardo pulled out a knife.

Alex - "No!"

I grabbed the back of his shirt. He stopped and looked at me, annoyed.

Alex - "Don't kill him."  
Eduardo - "He would do the same to me."  
Alex - "But he wasn't goin' to kill me! Just… Please, just throw him overboard, or give 'im back to the navy!"

Eduardo looked back at the soldier. He was struggling to keep himself up.

Eduardo - "Fine. Take his weapons."

I grabbed what weapons I could find on him and Eduardo took him by the arm and brought him out onto the deck. I followed.

Up on the deck there was a standoff between the crew and the remaining navy. Bloody corpses riddled the deck. The sight made me nauseous. I kept forgetting the kind of people I was with. Moments like this always reminded me that these men were pirates. And now people thought I was like them… Eduardo dragged the wounded soldier to the space between them and threw him onto the deck.

Eduardo - "Look, I spared one of your rats. Now, we'll let you leave with this guy in one piece, or" he cocked his gun at the soldier's head, "this one's a goner."

 _I thought he was out of rounds… Is it a bluff? The wounded soldier isn't saying anything either and he knows Eduardo has no bullets…_

The commander in charge stared at Eduardo for quite some time before agreeing with his terms.

Navy Commander - "Okay! We'll leave. Retreat!"

Some navy soldiers grabbed the wounded one and they started to disembark. The wounded soldier looked back at me before disappearing off the ship. I sighed in relief. One less casualty.

As we sailed away, Morgan yelled back at them, "And don't you dare follow us!" He turned back to the crew. "Nice plan Eduardo! Although, it's not like you to leave anyone alive."  
Eduardo - "I had some inspiration."

He glanced at me sideways, smirking. I blushed and looked away. That devilish expression always made me embarrassed.

Christopher and I tended to some of the crew who had incurred minor injuries. Morgan and Eduardo went to the nav room to find out where to go. The rest of the crew cleaned up the deck, scavenging for weapons and throwing bodies overboard. Now I knew why Thomas was constantly swabbing the deck. This ship would probably be stained red by the time we finished. _Once we're done… what'll happen after that?_ I felt sad and hopeful and scared thinking about it. Did I want to stay? Did I want to go? I had already decided Yamato was no place I could return to… I shook the sad thoughts out of my head. There was no point in thinking about it. I had to concentrate on the problem at hand.

Of course, we'd be travelling to the Reiz empire to get the rest of the map, but we didn't know where. We were basically back to square one. But when Eduardo made for a new course, we didn't head out to open waters. He kept the shores of Moldor to our right, heading south. Out on the deck with the rest of the crew, I asked Morgan why.

Alex - "Captain, why are we still hangin' around Moldor? Isn't it dangerous?"  
Morgan - "We're not done here. We got the map, but we need the other piece. And I've no idea where it could be. We need to snoop around Moldor for more information. We'll stop at a free trade port. The navy'll think twice before hassling us there!" Morgan laughed.  
Alex - "What's a free trade port?"  
Christopher - "It's essentially a safe haven for pirates. The government doesn't like to admit it, but pirates are a part of the economy. It allows us to buy and trade within a city without getting thrown into prison."  
Alex - "Wow really? Even though you guys have bounties on your heads?"  
Christopher laughed. "We're granted immunity from the navy, but that doesn't stop anyone else in the free trade zone to try and collect on us."  
Nathan - "We're well known fer our strength. No one gives us trouble."  
Eduardo - "It'll be dangerous for a girl like you, though."  
Alex - "Huh? Why?"  
Eduardo - "Free trade zones are a little lawless. You could get kidnapped and sold off, and there's no navy to stop them from doing so."  
Alex - "Why is it always me they want… I don't even have a bounty."  
Morgan - "It's cuz you're so damn cute!" He grinned, patting my head a bit too hard. "How can a guy not wanna steal ya?"

I blushed.

The free trade zone was quite a ways away from the main port of Moldor. It took us a few days to get there. The day before we were to make port, I was helping Nathan in the kitchen, preserving some fish we had caught. Well, Nathan had caught all of them except one. I had reeled in the tiniest fish. I sighed.

Nathan - "... Ya've been hangin' out here a lot lately."  
Alex - "Oh, um, do you not want me here?"  
Nathan - "Not really…"  
Alex - "I'm sorry, I'll leave…" I went to the sink to rinse my hands. Nathan laughed.  
Nathan - "I'm joking."  
Alex - "Oh… haha." I returned to salting the fish Nathan had cleaned.  
Nathan - "Ya have been hangin' out with me more n' usual, though. Somethin' up?"  
Alex - "Ah, nothing…"  
Nathan - "So ya just like me that much, eh?" He smirked.  
I blushed. "It's not like that! I just… don't wanna hang out with other people…"  
Nathan - "That's basically what I said…"  
Alex - "Is not!"

I slapped Nathan in the face with a fish fillet.

Nathan - "..."  
 _Oh god, he looks mad._ "I-it was a joke!"  
Nathan - "Yer gon' regret that."  
Alex - "Aah! I'm sorry!" He chucked a pile of fish guts at me. "Ugh, gross!"  
Nathan - "There's more where that came from!"

Soon bits of fish were flying everywhere in the kitchen. One of the fillets caught Russell in the face when he was walking by the window. I sidestepped a fish head Nathan had thrown at me, but then slipped on some guts. I fell forward and knocked him over. My bandana had fallen over my eyes. When I pulled it back I found myself on top of Nathan, on my hands and knees, between his legs. His face was directly in front of mine.

Russell walked into the kitchen with a fillet in his hand looking very angry. He stopped and stared at us.

Russell - "What the hell are ya guys doin'?!"

He pulled me off of Nathan and grabbed my shoulders.

Russell - "What do ya think yer doin'? Ya got any idea what he could do to ya?"  
Alex - "It was an accident! I fell."  
Nathan - "What do ya mean, what I could do ta 'er?"  
Russell ignored Nathan. "It don't matter, don't be puttin' yaself in those kinda positions with men!"  
Nathan - "Ya think I'm an animal or somethin'..."  
Alex - "I said it was an accident!" I yanked myself away from Russell. "Why do you care so much about what I do with other men?"  
He completely ignored my question. "I can't leave ya alone, can I. Tomorraw yer comin' to Moldor with me."

He walked out the kitchen and slammed the door behind him.

Alex - "Geez, is he ever in a good mood?"  
Nathan got up from the floor, brushing himself off. "Hmm… I think that is Russell in a good mood."  
Alex - "What?"  
Nathan - "He's usually a lot more vulgar around women. But not you."  
Alex - "That's 'not vulgar'?"  
Nathan - "Yup. Here, clean this up."  
Alex - "I have to clean it all?"  
Nathan - "You started it." He took off his shirt and handed it to me. "Wash this too."  
Alex - "Okay…"

Nathan turned his back to me and started working on the fish. The wound on his back had completely healed, but it left a nasty scar. The questions I had about his past were simmering in my head again. I really wanted to ask them. I had to ask them. They eventually boiled over.

Alex - "Why do you have so many scars?" I blurted.  
Nathan kept working. "Fights n' stuff."  
Alex - "Fights from… being a pirate?"  
Nathan - "No. Mostly from when I was a bandit."  
Alex - "A bandit?"  
Nathan - "..."  
Alex - "Um, if you were a bandit before… why'd you switch to bein' a pirate?"

Nathan worked silently for a bit. I wondered if he was just going to ignore the question. He tended to do that when he didn't want to talk about something.

Nathan - "It's cuz of Cap…"  
Alex - "Captain?"  
Nathan - "Yeah. I owe 'im my life. He saved mine. Twice."  
Alex - "... How?"

Nathan told me his story of how he ended up on the Sirius. How he used to lead a life of thievery and murder, always getting into scraps with the local police. How he was betrayed by the men who had raised him, how he lost his childhood friend, and how he was nearly hanged. He told me how Captain saved him from being hanged and from the guards who were chasing him. It's the reason he has such a huge bounty on his head. He finished his story and kept working, a stern expression on his face. I had finished cleaning and was soaking his shirt in the sink. I kept quiet for a bit, unsure of what to say. I could feel my eyes watering. _Everyone has such a tortured past…_ I dried off my hands and wiped my eyes.

Alex - "At least you have the Captain!" I smiled at him. "And the rest of the Sirius crew! Who cares about those bandits when you've got everyone here, watchin' your back n' stuff. You all get along so well… you're inseparable."  
Nathan looked at me. "... And you."  
Alex - "Hm?"  
Nathan - "I have you, too... don't I?"  
"Oh…" I didn't think he thought of me in that way. Sure, I was his 'lil kitchen helper', but I thought I was still just a stowaway on this boat. I smiled even wider. "Of course!"

Nathan smirked and poked my forehead.

Alex - "Hey! Oh, this is covered in fish gunk!"

He just laughed at me. I dunked my bandana into the sink with his shirt.

The next day I was back in my civilian clothes. Morgan thought I'd blend in better in my blouse and skirt. Personally, I think he just likes any woman in a dress. I had to leave the bandana behind anyway since it was still drying. I combed out my hair and let it fall loosely around my shoulders. It had been so long since I looked in the mirror and saw a real girl looking back. It felt kinda good. Thomas blushed when he saw me. I guess he was remembering the last time I wore these clothes, back in Hoenn when I sang in the bar. Except the skirt was shorter now. The ends had gotten worn out so I had to hem the bottom quite a bit. The sleeves had gotten ragged as well so I had to shorten those. I was also missing the top two buttons, exposing a bit of my cleavage. Nothing I could do about that. Nathan and Eduardo both stared at me. I asked what they were lookin' at and they just mumbled some nonsense excuses. Thomas stayed behind on the ship again, and we all headed out.

Russell and I walked around the muddy streets of the free trade port. The streets were wider here, with blackened wood beams and bridges spanning the buildings above us. There were many more shops and vendors here, and lots of traffic on the streets. The variety of people and races here was overwhelming. I had never been in such a bustling metropolis of people before. I grabbed Russell's arm.

Russell - "What ya doin'?"  
Alex - "Sorry! I slipped, I didn't want to fall."  
Russell - "Christ…"

He grabbed my hand and tugged me along. He didn't complain about how slow I was being, or how I shouldn't be out with them in the first place… _Why did he want to be with me in Moldor anyway? Aren't I just a burden to him?_

Alex - "Hey, Russell?"

I stopped.

Russell - "What? Ya can't just stop in the middle o' the street like tha'."  
Alex - "Why did you choose me to come back into Moldor with?"  
Russell - "Cuz' yer useless by yerself. Ya gotta have someone with ya ta protect ya."  
Alex - "But…"  
Russell - "What?"  
Alex - "You're the one that wants me off the boat the most. As a woman I don't belong there… Why are you protecting me?"  
Russell - "Heh, like I'd trust the other guys ta do it as well as me. They all got their own agenda."  
Alex - "Their own agenda?"  
Russell - "Nevermind that, let's keep goin'!"

He didn't really answer my questions, but I felt like we were back on good terms. We kept walking.

Alex - "Russell…"  
Russell - "What now?"  
Alex - "Thank you… for offering to protect me."  
Russell - "Huh, when'd I do that?"

I giggled. He would never admit it, would he?

"YOU THERE!"

We turned around to see a bunch of soldiers running after us. But they weren't the navy. They had their weapons drawn. Russell took his out.

Alex - "We should run!"  
Russell - "Like hell!"

He engaged the soldiers in combat.

Russell - "Stay behind me!"  
I scowled. "Like hell!"

I wasn't going to let my failure to fight on board become a regular thing. I jumped into the skirmish, helping block attacks from the soldiers. They seemed to only care about capturing Russell. I was doing okay on my own, mostly avoiding attacks and landing a few throwing knives here and there, but the soldier's numbers kept growing. _How many of them are there? And why are they attacking so suddenly?_ I heard the crunch of a footstep behind me.

Soldier - "You're in the way! Die!"

He lunged at me with his sword. _I don't have time, he's going to stab me!_ I put my hands over my head and closed my eyes bracing myself for the attack.

Russell - "Alex!"

I felt no pain. I had not been stabbed. I turned around to see Russell standing over me. A sword had pierced his shoulder.

Alex - "No, Russell!"

The multitude of soldiers subdued us and put us in handcuffs. A few were injured and stayed put to tend their wounds, but the rest escorted us up the road. One of them tied a rag around his shoulder. I heard them mutter, "we want him alive, men." _So they know who he is, probably…_ We marched down the street with the commoners staring at us as we walked past. I heard their whispers, "Is he a pirate? Must have a bounty. The Duke's soldiers are really coming down hard on us… If he does have a big bounty, maybe the Duke will let off of us for a bit…" _Who is this Duke?_

We walked up to a black iron gate and went into a large fenced in area. There were nicely paved walkways, well kept grass and gardens, and a giant mansion in the middle of it all. It was beautiful, with white walls and stained glass windows. Very different from the streets. But the grounds were teeming with soldiers. _Who'd a thunk a huge chunk of land like this existed in the middle of town?_ The soldiers didn't say a word and brought us to a small jailhouse where they threw us into a cell underground. They didn't even say why they had captured us. At least they took the handcuffs off. Rubbing my wrists, I looked around.

It was dingy and dark. There was a disgusting hole in the ground for a 'toilet' and weeds were growing out of every crack in the walls and floor. The cell bars were crusted with rust. There was a lamp on the pillar opposite us that was the only light source. I could vaguely see other prisoners shifting around in the cells across from us. I could hear them whispering lightly to each other. The guards must not tolerate chitchat. Russell groaned and grabbed his shoulder.

Alex - "Let me look at it…"

He unbuttoned his shirt partway so I could slip it off his shoulder. The sword had gone all the way through, but it wasn't bleeding that much. I took the rags the soldier had wrapped around him and pressed down on the wound.

Russell - "Heh…"  
Alex - "What's so funny?"  
Russell - "Now we're even…"  
Alex - "What do you mean?"  
Russell - "I was returnin' the favour, from when ya protected me."

He lightly touched the scar on my thigh.

Alex - "Oh… haha, I guess so!... You still didn't hafta get hurt for me…"  
Russell - "Yeah, yer right. Now we're trapped in this mess…"  
Alex - "It's my fault we're in here… Probably shoulda stayed put like you said."  
Russell laughed. "Nothin' is yer fault. Cap's always complainin' 'bout how I jump into shit too much. Sayin' how I'll regret it someday… Neva really got it 'till now."  
Alex - "Why now?"

I took my hand off and started ripping my sash into strips. No point in hiding the weapons the guards had taken away from me, so I didn't need it. Russell lifted my chin up to look at me.

Russell - "If we'd a ran like ya said, maybe ya wouldn't have almost died. It scared the shit outta me when I heard 'im say that."

I remembered the soldier yelling, _You're in the way! Die!_

Alex - "What are you sayin'? You're the one that got hurt, you coulda died!"  
Russell - "He was aimin' at ya to kill, they weren't even tryin' ta hurt me. And maybe I'da known that if I took the time to think, and 'assess tha situation' as Cap always says." He sarcastically made quotation marks in the air.  
Alex - "Maybe… but you think quick on your feet! It's what saved me." I smiled at him. "I'd be sliced salami right now if you hadn't gotten in the way of that blade."

I supposed Russell did care about me in his own way. I finished wrapping his wound and put his arm in a sling. He argued with me about wearing it and I told him he shouldn't use his arm with a shoulder wound. He grumbled and said to not tell him what to do, but he kept the sling on anyway.

Alex - "Okay, how do we get out?"  
Russell - "Already thinkin' bout that eh?"  
Alex - "Well, I'm guessing you don't just want to sit here, right?"  
Russell - "Actually… I do."  
Alex - "What?"  
Russell snickered. "This ain't ma first jailbreak. Ya gotta wait till night. No point in breakin' out in broad daylight when them guards are all over the place. Ya saw 'em on the grounds when we walked in, didn'tchya?"  
Alex - "Oh… right. There are no windows. How do you know when it'll be dark?"  
Russell - "Let's see… We got thrown in 'ere midday. Usually shift change is 'round supper time so the guards can go eat somethin'... Then another shift change 'round midnight. That's when we'll make our move."  
Alex - "So… we wait for the second shift change."  
Russell - "Yup."

He knew so much about how the guards would operate, and he'd only just met them. I didn't think he was much of a thinker, but he actually uses his head when there's real trouble. Maybe he's smarter than I thought. But he's clearly he'd been thrown in jail many times. I wondered if that's why he has a bounty. What crimes was he jailed for, and how many places is he wanted in for breaking out? I was curious.

Alex - "This really isn't your first time…" I mumbled.  
Russell - "Wussat?"  
Alex - "Nothing!"

We sat in silence, waiting for time to pass. My curiosity got the better of me and I asked Russell about his bounty. I was afraid he'd yell at me for asking, but I just had to know.

Alex - "So… why do you have a bounty on your head?"  
Russell - "We're pirates. We all do. Even Thomas."  
Alex - "Yeah, but… what did you do to get it… so high?"  
Russell - "Seen the posters huh? Mine's not as high as the Captain's. He's the real wanted man."  
Alex - "You admire the Captain, don't ya?"  
Russell - "... He's a good man. He let me on his ship so I could fulfill my goal."  
Alex - "What's that?"  
Russell smirked. "Someday, I'll beat him and become the next Pirate King."  
Alex - "What? He let you on the ship even though that's what you wanna do?"  
Russell - "Eh, he didn't really find that out 'till later. First, I need to defeat the Legendary Swordsman."  
Alex - "Who's that?"  
Russell - "He's the best two sword fencer! Well, second best. I'mma defeat 'im." He grinned.  
I smiled. "All ya wanna do is fight, huh?"  
Russell - "Somethin' wrong with that?"  
Alex - "No… But… nevermind."  
Russell - "What?"  
Alex - "Well, I dunno… Don't you ever think there's more to life than that? Fightin'?"

Russell remained quiet. He was staring at the wall now. _Did I touch a nerve?_

Russell - "I used ta think that was the only thing to life."  
Alex - "Used to? What changed?"  
Russell looked at me then scratched his face as if he was embarrassed. "You… y'know what, it doesn't matter. I'mma get some shut eye."

He settled against the cold stone wall. I stared at him for a bit. "Russell?"

Russell - "Yeah?"

Alex - "You'll make a great Pirate King someday."

He didn't answer and just rolled over. I got bored and started humming, quietly enough that no one would hear me. It made me a little more comfortable. Eventually, a couple guards came by to relieve the first shift of their post. They talked about what there was for supper. Russell was right. It made me hungry listening to them. I had crawled over to the cell bars and peered out down the hallway. I could barely see their backs. Two of them walked out and the door slammed shut behind them. I looked around at the other cells. Some of the other prisoners had also come up to the bars to see what was going on. One of them looked familiar. I gripped the bars and pressed my face up against them.

Alex - "Hey, you!"


	11. Chapter 11

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

He didn't answer and just rolled over. I got bored and started humming, quietly enough that no one would hear me. It made me a little more comfortable. Eventually, a couple guards came by to relieve the first shift of their post. They talked about what there was for supper. Russell was right _._ It made me hungry listening to them. I had crawled over to the cell bars and peered out down the hallway. I could barely see their backs. Two of them walked out and the door slammed shut behind them. I looked around at the other cells. Some of the other prisoners had also come up to the bars to see what was going on. One of them looked familiar. I gripped the bars and pressed my face up against them.

Alex - "Hey, you!"

* * *

The man looked at me, surprised.

Alex - "Yeah, you! You're a merchant, right?"  
The man crawled closer to the bars and whispered. "Yes… How do you know?"

I looked over at Russell before answering. He was sitting up against the wall, snoring.

Alex - "Back in Hoenn, you sold a map piece to my friend. Do you remember?"  
Merchant - "Hmm… I remember that a little. He was quite rude."  
Alex - "Yeah! Did you find out anything about where it came from? Do you know of any more maps?"  
Merchant - "Do I work for you? No, I don't know anything. I just sell it to anyone who'll believe it's worth something.  
Alex - "... So, you're a hustler."  
Merchant - "What's it to you? But that stupid map is what's got me in here."  
Alex - "How? We have the map."  
Merchant - "You have a piece of the map. I bought another one off another… merchant. Hoping someone would pay as much as your friend did for it."  
Alex - "That doesn't explain why you're here."  
Merchant - "Ok! I didn't buy it. I took it from the Duke. And now he's caught me and he took the map."

I thought about it for a moment. We needed to get that map, and we were already within the grounds…

Alex - "Do you know where the Duke is keeping the map?"  
Merchant - "... I might"  
Alex - "Ok, how well do you know his place? Enough to sneak us in and out?"  
Merchant - "Why would I do that for you?"

I looked over at the guards. They were loudly talking about whores at a nearby brothel.

Alex - "We're gonna break out soon. I can take you with us and in return, you help us out in the Duke's mansion."

The merchant thought about it for a minute.

Merchant - "I could be a dead man either way… Fine, I'll do it."  
Alex - "Perfect!"

I noticed a symbol stitched onto his breast. It was awfully familiar… Thomas' keepsakes!

Alex - "Hey… Are you from the Reiz?"  
Merchant - "... Does it matter?"  
Alex - "It does! In a good way! You seem to be a map savvy man, can you tell me about any maps in Reiz?"  
Merchant - "There's plenty of maps, usually in the possession of upper class men. You gotta be more specific, girl."  
Alex - "Any treasure maps, ones that would be hidden or buried somewhere?"  
Merchant - "Did you pop out of a fairytale? You want some stupid rumours about maps?"  
Alex - "Yes! Tell me!"

The merchant sighed. "There is one rumour about treasure maps being hidden on Prica Island. It borders Moldor and Reiz, doesn't really belong to either empire no more what with no one livin' there. Used to be a place of great commerce, lots of rare stuff passed through. Maybe yer dumb map's there."

Alex - "Really… Thank you for telling me!"

I remembered Thomas' story. _Would he even want to go back there?_ Ultimately it was up to the Captain, so it didn't even matter if he wanted to go… Should I even tell the Captain about Prica Island? Maybe I should tell Thomas first… I battled with my thoughts for a while before giving up on making a decision. I kept getting distracted by my rumbling stomach anyway. I shook Russell awake.

Alex - "Should be the next shift change soon. And, I got some info about the map."  
Russell - "What?"  
Alex - "That merchant over there, Eduardo and I met him in Hoenn. I promised to let him out with us so long as he helps us steal the map from the Duke."  
Russell - "We already got the half that's here in Moldor. What map piece are you talking about?"  
Alex - "It… uh… the Duke! He came back from the Reiz with a map piece. The merchant stole it and got caught, and that's why he's here. He knows his way around the Duke's mansion, he can help us!"

I hated lying to Russell, especially after he saved me, but I couldn't betray Eduardo either. I felt that I needed his permission before telling anyone else about his other motive. I was hoping Russell would believe me.

Russell - "... Alright fine. But we need the rest of the crew. We'll take him back to the ship."

I really wanted to get the map tonight, we were already here, but this wasn't an operation for a wounded pirate, a girl, and a merchant. I agreed with Russell. He told me his plan for breaking out and then we waited for the guard to change.

As the guards were busy chatting with the new shift, Russell took a pin out of his boot and picked the lock. He clicked it open, but left it as is as if it were still locked. We waited for the old shift to leave. He nodded at me.

Alex - "Hello? Excuse me?"  
Guard 1 - "What?"  
Alex - "I'm so thirsty… Could you spare a cup of water?"  
Guard 1 - "Ya can wait!"  
Alex - "Please, I'm so thirsty, I'll do anything!"  
The guard walked over. "Anything huh?"  
Alex - "There must be something I could do…" I reached out and traced a finger down his chest. I looked into his eyes like I had done to countless men at Sirens. The guard smirked.  
Guard 1 - "Maybe there is…" He grabbed my hand forcefully.  
Guard 2 - "Hey!" The second guard walked over. "You know she's tricking you, right?"  
Guard 1 - "Ah, so what, not like she can get out, right?"

He flicked the lock on the cell door which popped open.

Guards - "Huh?"

Russell busted out and grabbed the guards, throwing them into the cell. I ran out and he slammed the cell door behind me, locking it.

Guard 2 - "You idiot!"  
Guard 1 - "They're the idiots, we have the keys. We can get out easy!" He patted around his waist for a bit before realizing he didn't have them.  
Alex - "You mean these keys?"

I held up the ring of keys I had nicked off the first guard. They charged at us angrily, reaching through the cell bars trying to grab the keys from my hand.

Guard 1 - "You won't get away with this!"  
Russell - "Yeah, we'll see 'bout that." He punched the guard in the face.  
Guard 1 - "Argh! Bastard."

We unlocked the cell the merchant was in and let him out. Walking past the other prisoners, I promised we'd be back to let them out as well. We found our weapons in a small room in the corner of the jail. We had just finished putting them on when the door to the jail burst open. The merchant hid behind both of us and we readied ourselves. Someone must have heard the stupid guards yelling. A pair of boots, a red coat, and a feathered hat came into view.

Alex - "Captain!"

The rest of the crew came in, dragging in some unconscious guards.

Morgan - "Haha, looks like you didn't need our help after all!"  
Alex - "Actually, we do! There's a map piece in the Duke's mansion."  
Morgan - "Hm? We already got a map piece in Moldor… who's this?" Morgan pointed at the merchant behind me.  
Alex - "This is the merchant Eduardo and I met back at Hoenn."

Eduardo looked up at me. I hoped that he'd get the hint.

Alex - "I mean, this merchant says it's valuable. Maybe it's part of _another map set_ , for more treasure? Worth a look ain't it, and we're already all here."

Morgan, Eduardo, and Christopher all looked at each other.

Russell - "I thought you said -"  
Morgan - "I like a good midnight raid. Let's go!"

Russell looked at me suspiciously. I avoided his gaze. We formulated a plan where half of us would head back to the ship, helping the prisoners escape along the way, and the other half would infiltrate the Duke's mansion. We had to be quick about it and finish before the next shift change, or else the alarm would be raised.

Thomas, Russell, and Nathan were to take the prisoners out where they could return home. Russell argued with the Captain, but Morgan said that this was his punishment for getting himself in this mess in the first place. He wasn't allowed on the raid.

Morgan - "You got yourself injured, and put Alex in danger! You can hold your own fine, but you know she's not an experienced fighter!"  
Russell - "I could handle them for her!"  
Morgan - "Really? Doesn't look like you did a good job."

He prodded Russell's shoulder. Russell winced in pain, looking ashamed.

Morgan - "Head back to the ship. We'll meet you there."

The prisoners headed out and followed the trio back to the gate that Morgan and the others had originally gotten through. Eduardo, Christopher, Morgan, the merchant, and I headed to the southwest corner of the mansion. Along the way I explained what the merchant had actually said to me now that I was with Eduardo's confidantes.

I decided to keep the information about Prica Island to myself. I'd decide later who to tell first. It wasn't important right now anyway. We entered into the mansion through a grate at the bottom of one of the towers. We landed in a basement storage area. Feeling our way in the dark, we found the stairs and started to ascend. We eventually came out into an empty hallway. The walls were decorated with ornate crown molding, expensive hand painted pictures, and a red carpet that stretched all the way down the hallway. It was brightly lit with crystal chandeliers. If this wasn't the house of an arrogant Duke, I might have admired it more.

Eduardo - "And where could this map be in the mansion… merchant? Do you have a name?"  
Merchant - "Of course I do, it's Martin!"  
Eduardo - "Alright Marty," Eduardo spun his gun around in Martin's face, "Where's the map?"  
Martin - "Don't call me Marty, boy. And I don't know! I just know how to get in and out, I don't know where he put it."  
Morgan - "... Where is it Martin? Where do you think we should go in the mansion to find it?"  
 _Hm? I thought he said he knew… well, that he might know. Why's he being such a dick now?  
_ Martin - "I said I don't know! I got you in, now can you let me go?"  
Eduardo - "It's a little odd you wanted to go so quickly… you're confident you can get out of the grounds without getting caught, huh?"  
Martin - "Like I said, I took the map from the Duke, I been 'ere before."  
Christopher - "Hmm. You have. And why did the Duke take you prisoner again?"  
Martin - "Cuz I have his map! Er… had it."

The three Sirius pirates stared Martin down.

Eduardo - "Give us the map Martin."  
Martin - "Never!"  
Christopher - "Then we can just wait here until the guards walk by and we'll hand you over and escape on our own."  
Morgan - "We can help you out, Martin, just give us the map."  
Martin - "..."

We heard a door open and close and footsteps coming from around the corner. The murmur of voices were coming closer. Martin started to panic.

Martin - "Fine! Here!" He took a parchment out of the folds of his clothing and thrust it at Eduardo who had a gun up to his face. "I'm outta here!" He ran back the way we came.  
Christopher - "So are we! Let's go Alex."

We all started running down the hallway. We could hear the guards yelling behind us, "Hey! Who's there?" They rounded the corner and started chasing us.

Christopher - "We're only on the second floor. Out that window!"

He jumped and crashed through the stained glass windows. Eduardo and Morgan followed suit. I ran right up to the window then stopped. It was a lot farther down that I thought it'd be. I couldn't do it. I looked behind me to see the guards running at me. I looked back down. Morgan motioned at me to jump.

Morgan - "Just jump!"

I took a deep breath and jumped out the window just before the guards reached me. I closed my eyes, which was stupid, but I was scared. The feeling of falling made my heart skip a beat. I landed in someone's arms. I looked up to see Morgan.

Morgan - "You know I'll always catch you."

I was so relieved. It was the first time I felt comfortable and safe in his arms. The moment was cut short, though. He threw me over his shoulder and started running.

Alex - "Captain?! Captain! I can run on my own!"  
Morgan - "This is more fun!"

Bells started to ring out all over the Duke's grounds. We ran through the still unguarded gates and went through the side streets to lose the guards. We headed straight back to the ship. It was time to leave Moldor. Even though we had lost the guards, they'd eventually find our ship.

Morgan didn't put me down until we had reached the deck. The crew quickly pulled in the ropes and the sails caught the wind immediately. We were out of Moldor before the guards even reached the shore.

Alex - "How'd you guys know Martin had the map?"  
Eduardo - "You learn to recognize the signs of a weasel."  
Alex - "A weasel?"  
Christopher - "He agreed to help you didn't he? But he backed out as soon as he was out of the jail cell. Kept asking us to let him go while we walked to the mansion. A man like that has no honour, and is most likely lying."  
Eduardo - "We heard about the Duke around town. Martin probably just got caught up in this Duke's imprisoning spree. Also, the Duke immediately hangs anyone that steals from him. Martin just lied to you to get out of jail."  
Alex - "Oh…" _He hustled me. And I even said that he's a hustler!_ "I feel stupid."  
Christopher patted my head. "Don't worry. You'll learn these things with time."  
Nathan - "Oi. What's this nonsense 'bout anotha' map in Moldor?"  
Russell - "Thought you said the Duke got it from Reiz…"

Russell was looking at me with his arms crossed. I ignored him and looked away. _Balls. He's not gonna be happy 'bout this._

Eduardo - "I suppose it's about time you know…"

Nathan, Russell, and Thomas listened intently as Eduardo recounted his past and his current goals to them. He had kept his Ullr side a secret because of the discrimination they faced in Moldor. They didn't care about that though. They're all throwaways, scum at the bottom of the barrel, the worst of the worst. They didn't care that Eduardo was part Ullr. But they did care about one thing.

Nathan - "... So, you knew?"  
I tugged at my skirt, feeling guilty. "Uh, yeah. I found out. It was by accident really…"  
Russell - "She knew and we didn't?!"  
Eduardo - "Don't drag her into this. It was my secret, you should be mad at me."  
Russell - "Ya told a random woman 'bout somethin' so important to ya, but ya didn't care to let us in on it, huh? How many times have I saved yer ass?"  
Eduardo - "It's a moot point. She was with me when I bought the first map piece and I said I'd put a bullet in her head if she said a word of it to any of you. It was none of her business."

 _Eduardo had never said that to me… Is he protecting me?_ I looked at him, puzzled. Russell was still angry, but he looked more hurt and sad than his usual ferocity. He had opened up to me when we were in the jail cell, only to find out about this… I felt awful.

Eduardo - "Nathan?"  
Nathan shrugged. "Eh, I had an inklin' ya were hidin' somethin'. I'm okay with it."  
Eduardo - "Thomas?"  
Thomas was silent this whole time. He looked to be in deep thought. Finally, he said, "Eduardo… You have my full support!" He smiled.

With the matter cleared up, everyone started to go off and work on their own duties. Eduardo wanted to piece together the map and restore it. Morgan wanted to drink. The rest started to walk away. I looked at Thomas and Morgan. I looked at Russell. I reached out a hand, about to speak out, but I didn't know who to call out to. Should I make sure Russell is okay? What about Eduardo, Thomas, Nathan? Everyone is so cold and tense. Should I tell them both about Prica Island right now? Should I tell Thomas later tonight? Should I tell Morgan first? He is the Captain…

Who should I go to… Who needs me the most right now?

 _I cause so much trouble around here, I have to do something._

But I didn't know what to do.


	12. Chapter 12

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

With the matter cleared up, everyone started to go off and work on their own duties. Eduardo wanted to piece together the map and restore it. Morgan wanted to drink. The rest started to walk away. I looked at Thomas and Morgan. I looked at Russell. I reached out a hand, about to speak out, but I didn't know who to call out to. Should I make sure Russell is okay? What about Eduardo, Thomas, Nathan? Everyone is so cold and tense. Should I tell them both about Prica Island right now? Should I tell Thomas later tonight? Should I tell Morgan first? He is the Captain…

Who should I go to… Who needs me the most right now?

 _I cause so much trouble around here, I have to do something._

But I didn't know what to do.

* * *

I decided to sleep and do something about it all tomorrow. But before sleep, I needed food. I hadn't eaten all day having been stuck in jail. I asked Nate to make something for me. He and I hung out in the mess hall. Even though Russell had also not eaten, he didn't come for any food. It made me feel even worse. I poked at my soba noodles.

Nathan - "Thought ya were hungry?"  
Alex - "I am… I'm starved…"  
Nathan poked my cheek. "What is it?"

I wanted to help out on the ship while I was here, waiting to be returned home. But now the prospect of home was lost. And now I felt like I was doing more harm to the crew by just existing. And I might cause another problem once I told the crew about Prica Island. I just wanted to be comfortable… I just wanted to find a place to call 'home'.

Nathan - "Ya wanna go home, still, eh?"  
Alex - "... How can you tell?"  
Nathan - "I just can…"  
Alex - "Not like I can anymore… They'd throw me in jail since I've been here so long..."  
Nathan - "Then we'd just break ya out like we just did for you n' Russell."  
He kind of made me smile. "The navy would just find me again. I don't belong with you guys either... I should go back… er, home." The word felt alien to me now. "and just deal with the consequences."  
Nathan - "... Ya know if ya left we'd hunt ya down and bring ya back."  
I looked up at him, confused. "Why? Don't you guys just wanna get me off this boat?"  
Nathan laughed. "Ya haven't figured out at this point that none of us wanna let ya go?... Unless ya just don't like us…"  
Alex - "Well… You guys can be a lil' scary sometimes, but… I like you." I smiled, thinking about all the little adventures I had with them. "I know you guys will look out for me… and… protect me..."

I was a little alarmed at coming to that realization. But it was true. Over the past couple of months, everyone had warmed up to me in one way or another. Everyone had my back. Even Nathan, who hardly used to speak to me, was now comforting me. And I really did care for the crew whether I liked it or not. Maybe this tension will blow over once all the truth is out.

Every time I thought about Yamato, I thought I felt that I wanted to go back to my life the way it should be. I thought I wanted the routine, the ease, the simplicity, the boredom. But at every exciting turn, every unexpected moment, I thanked my lucky stars that I landed on this ship and was whisked away from that monotonous lifestyle. I needed to check up on Charlie for sure, but being his baking assistant was not what I wanted to do anymore. This life was far more exciting, far more worth the trouble.

Alex - "I don't wanna go home. Not yet." I looked at Nathan, a stern expression on my face. "We've got a treasure to find first."  
Nathan smiled and stood up. "Sleep. Ya been through a lot today." He walked towards the door.  
Alex - "Nathan?"

He stopped and looked back. I honestly didn't know what I was going to say. I wanted him to stay for a bit longer. I ended up just staring at him. He smiled, then left. I ate the rest of my food, starting to feel better already. I had made up my mind about Prica Island.

Over the next few days, Morgan and Eduardo were occupied with the maps. Even though Morgan didn't know exactly where to go, he wanted to head to the Reiz Empire. Eduardo wasn't done deciphering his own map pieces, so that was our bearing. There was a lot to do around the ship anyway, to prepare for the long journey to the Reiz empire. And we'd end up drinking almost every night, Morgan was so excited about having found the map. I sang for them a lot, and they'd try and sing along with me. They'd occasionally sing their own rough sea shanties. It was fun to listen to them, and Christopher was always out of tune. With everyone being drunk so often, I couldn't find an opportunity to tell both Morgan and Thomas about Prica Island. Thomas kept going to bed early anyway. He joked that it was too much beer putting him to sleep early. And no one was ever in the same place at the same time, not even in the mess hall. I was getting antsy.

One day, we all met in the mess hall. Eduardo and Morgan had finally come out of hiding to reveal their findings. This was my chance to tell them about Prica Island! Eduardo was standing at the table and spreading out the Ullr map.

Eduardo - "It's taking me a while to complete it. Some of the parts are very worn out, others I can't hope to restore. I have figured out that part of it is in the Reiz empire." He pointed at a section of water that had a faded symbol on it. "I'm not familiar with the islands in Reiz… it'll take some time to figure out what area of the world this map depicts."  
 _The Reiz. Maybe I can…_ "Um, Captain!"  
Morgan - "We're heading to the Reiz anyway, we'll grab a reference map."  
Christopher - "Where though? We get too close to the wrong shoreline and their military will be on us faster than a kingfisher."  
Russell - "That's neva been a problem fer us before."  
Thomas - "The Reiz are very strict about pirates though…"  
Christopher - "Unlike Moldor, they have a zero tolerance rule for pirates. It's shoot to kill and the bounties are high, even for men like us who probably aren't known in the Reiz. We can't just bust in, Russell."  
Russell - "Dammit."  
Alex - "There is one island we can go to first."

Everyone looked at me.

Eduardo - "What could you know that we don't?"

Alex - "I didn't know who to tell about this… but there's an island that borders Moldor and Reiz which might be a safer place to stop. The merchant in Moldor… he mentioned that there's rumours of maps and treasure hidden on the island since it used to be a place a lot of people passed through."

I looked at Thomas. He had a frightened expression on his face. I hoped I was making the right choice…

Morgan - "What's it called?"  
Alex - "Prica Island."  
Morgan stroked his chin. "Hmm… You said the merchant told you this?"  
Nathan - "Ain't he a lyin' bastard?"  
Morgan - "Yes, which is why I'm questioning his information."  
I felt a little embarrassed since I believed the merchant's words so wholeheartedly. "Uh, yeah, the merchant is the one who told me…"  
Thomas - "We should go there." Everyone looked at Thomas in surprise. "Even if it's not there, the island is abandoned now. There shouldn't be any Reiz military patrolling the place. We can stop and regroup, get our bearings before heading straight into Reiz."  
Morgan - "... Are you sure? You wanna go back to your alma mater?"  
Thomas - "... Yes I'm sure."  
Morgan slapped his thigh. "It's a start! Eduardo, point us to Prica Island!"

 _Thomas…_ I was glad that he was okay with it, even encouraging it. I still couldn't help but feel bad. He hasn't been back since he had to bury his parents… I wanted to go and talk to him, but he'd always cough and say he had somewhere to go, or something to do. He was avoiding me. I decided to give him his space.

One week later, we stopped at a port city island to restock. Prica Island was still another week away. I helped Nathan with groceries, then went off on my own to look at the market wares. I hummed to myself as I browsed the various goods. I found a cobbler selling some boots. After buying a pair to replace my own worn out shoes, I continued down the market. There was a stall with soaps and creams. I looked down at my own calloused hands. They were weathered and cracked from all the seawater and rope that slid through them on a daily basis. There was no use in trying to take care of them with the work I did. I rubbed my hands, embarrassed at how unladylike they'd become. My eyes fell on a leather stand. I went to the vendor and picked up a pair of fingerless gloves. The merchant was surprised that I wanted them, but he sold them to me. He stared at me as I walked away. So what if my hands looked like a man's. I can just hide them. I found a window down a ways and looked at my reflection. With my bandana, shorts, half-shirt, ankle boots, and gloves I thought I looked pretty badass.

I looked back down the street. Christopher and Eduardo were arguing over something. It was funny to watch the crew interact. They were a band of grown men that sometimes would act so childish, especially when they were drunk. And god knows if they sobered up from last night at all. I started to head back when someone stepped in my way.

Man - "Hey there, girl."  
Alex - "..."  
He looked over his shoulder. "You with those gentlemen over there?"  
Alex - "Who's asking?"  
The man laughed. "Cheeky! As expected."  
 _As expected? Does he know me?_ "Can I help you?"  
Man - "Maybe. What's your name?"  
Alex - "I asked you first."  
Man - "Oh, where are my manners. My name's Daniel. Yours?"  
I wondered if I should give him my real name. "Yeah, I'm not giving you my name 'till I know what you want."  
Man - "What I want? Just a chat! Come walk with me."  
Alex - "No."

I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm and pushed me back. I drew my dagger, but before I could make a move two more men grabbed my arms. I was about to scream when yet another man came up from behind and gagged me with a rag. I struggled, scratching and kicking, but it was hopeless. They threw a bag over my head, bound my wrists, and dragged me away. It all happened in a split second.

* * *

I knew we were on a boat. I could hear the water when we neared the port, felt the hollow thumping of my feet on the gangplank, then the gentle swaying of a docked boat. I stumbled down stairs before being thrown into a corner. Someone whipped the bag off my head. My eyes adjusted to the dim light and I could see three men in front of me. I struggled against my bonds. They laughed.

Daniel - "It's no use, sweetheart, you best just stay put."  
Man 1 - "Ya know, I thought she'd be better lookin' than this, considering what the legends say."  
Man 2 - "Haha, she ain't no goddess. Bet she'd still be a nice lay." He leered at me.  
Daniel - "Any of you touch her, and the deal's off. He wants her back as is."  
Man 2 - "Come on, just a little bit."

BAM!

Daniel had punched the guy in the face. "Hands off! Scrubbin' duty, now."

The man grumbled and walked away. Daniel jerked his head at the other man and he scurried up the stairs. He kneeled in front of me and touched my cheek. I flinched away and yelled at him, but my curses were muffled by the gag. He hit me across the face.

Daniel - "Shut it, there's no way that's coming off, sweetheart. Like I'd let you holler and risk you manipulating my men, too."

He left me and swung a door shut behind him. It was pitch black. I could hear footsteps above me and the sounds of rigging and sails ruffling. I panicked. They're leaving port. They're leaving port and the crew doesn't know I'm gone. How far will I be before they realize? Will they even bother to come and get me? I really hoped they would, but I still wasn't sure that what Nathan had said was true to this extent. That they would save me from… who are these people anyway? And why are they acting like they know me?

I needed to figure out how to escape on my own. What would Russell do? He would probably try and find something sharp to get rid of these bondages. They took my weapons, so I couldn't use those… I couldn't see a thing down here, and when there was light I didn't see much in this hull. Maybe I should wait until another man comes down, and I can take his weapon. That would mean I need mobility. My hands were tied behind my back, but it was easy to bring them back in front of me. The gag was so tight I thought the corners of my mouth were splitting. I tried to untie it with my hands, but the knot wouldn't budge. They'd done a damn good job.

The door opened and a man came down with a lantern. I stopped and hid my hands, trying to look like I was still bound the way they had me. He came over, dragging a crate, then sat down on it. He wasn't even paying attention to me. I could see the glint of a hilt on his waste. He bent over to put the lantern down…

I propped myself up on my toes and launched myself at him, knocking him over. I unsheathed his weapon, waving it wildly. He got up and backed away. I quickly cut the bindings on my ankles and face, slicing my cheek by accident. The man yelled out for reinforcements. I held the sword with both hands, pointing it at the extra men who came in. One of them was Daniel.

Daniel - "How did this happen? How'd she get your weapon when she was bound from fucking head to toe?"  
Man - "I wasn't expectin' no pirate on board, jus some weak woman ya wanna capture -"  
Daniel - "Useless!" He hit the guy upside his head, then turned his attention towards me. "What do you think you're going to do with that, against all of us?"

I stood there, feet planted squarely on the ground, but I was shaking. My eyes scanned the room wildly. My breathing was laboured.

Alex - "Everything. Anything I can." One of the men took a step towards me. "Don't!" I screamed. "Don't come any closer!"  
Daniel held a hand up. He mumbled under his breath, "Don't act rash, boys. Don't make 'er scream."

He spoke so softly I was surprised I heard it. He was acting cautious now. As if he was… afraid.

Random Man - "Who the fuck do we have on this boat, Dan?" His lips were barely moving, yet I knew what he said. _So they don't all know who I am?  
_ Daniel - "We need to get her gagged before she gets any bright ideas."  
Alex - _Bright ideas…_ "Scream, huh? You afraid someone'll hear me?"  
Daniel - "No, don't! -"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. He reached up to cover his ears, his eyes popping wide with fear. I sucked in more air than I thought I could, and when I let it out, it was unlike anything I'd heard before. It was so loud, so high pitched. It felt like I was forcing air through a pinhole, but it released from that pinhole in a devilish fury, a nonstop auditory attack. I could feel the air around me vibrating, the wooden structure of the ship was shaking. Soon I couldn't hear a thing except for the high pitched whine of my voice, like a ringing in my ears. It was like I'd gone deaf. When I finally stopped, I opened my eyes to see all the men holding their heads. My hearing returned instantly. Some were on the ground writhing in pain. I didn't understand what had happened. I didn't need to right now. I ran past them while they were struggling, went up the stairs, and onto the deck.

I ran up to the railing. The ship was exiting the bay, but some of the ropes were still on the dock. Whoever was reeling them in had stopped. The ship had started to turn, as if someone had stopped steering and it was now just following the waves. We were bound to hit something, what with still being in the port. I looked around the boat to see the men on deck also holding their heads, many struggling to stay standing. _What is going on?_ I looked back. I couldn't jump down, the dock was too far.

Daniel appeared at the top of the stairs. "You bitch!"  
"Take me ba -" My voice was hoarse. It hurt my throat to talk. I put a hand to my neck, surprised.  
Daniel - "Heheheh! Looks like you only got one good scream in ya."  
Alex - "What the hell are you talkin' 'bout?!" My voice came out raspy.  
Daniel - "Don't play dumb with me. You know what you are."  
Alex - "What I am? The hell does that mean?! What the fuck do you want?"  
Daniel - "Urgh, you're more of a pain in the ass than I thought ya'd be. May as well just throw ya in the ocean where ya belong."

Daniel stumbled towards me. He couldn't keep his balance. He kept holding one side of his head. _Did I do that? Did I hurt them?_ The men on the boat were regaining their stability. If I were to escape, it would be now, before it's too late.

A sickle sword stabbed into the railing beside me. I would've yelped if I had any bit of voice left. The chain attached to it rattled, then Nathan's head popped over the railing.

Alex - "Nate!" I could only mouth his name.  
Nathan - "Alex? What're ya doin just standin' there, come on!"

He took me by the waist and jumped off, grabbing a rope to swing him onto the dock. The rest of the crew had taken care of the men untying the ropes to the ship. Christopher clutched my shoulders.

Christopher - "You're hurt…"  
Morgan - "You can take care of her later, Doc, let's go!"

We ran back to the Sirius, the men on the ship yelling at us. I could have sworn I heard Daniel's voice. It didn't seem the rest of the crew had, though. I could have sworn he said…

"We'll get ya, you lil bitch siren!"

 _Did… did he just call me a siren?_


	13. Chapter 13

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

We ran back to the Sirius, the men on the ship yelling at us. I could have sworn I heard Daniel's voice. It didn't seem the rest of the crew had, though. I could have sworn he said…

"We'll get ya, you lil bitch siren!"

 _Did… did he just call me a siren?_

* * *

It was dark by the time we reached the ship. The crew made way for open waters. Morgan didn't want to stay on the island with those 'mercenaries or kidnappers or whatever' there. Christopher took me to the sick bay.

He checked my hands and ankles. They had minor abrasions. He still rubbed ointment on them and wrapped them up. He looked at my face. As he cupped my cheeks in both hands, his forehead creased with worry. I wanted to tell him that I'll be okay, that it wasn't that bad, but I couldn't speak.

Christopher - "Why does this keep happening to you, Alex… It's not fair."

 _Fair? By now I figured this was the usual risk for a girl living in the pirate world._

I placed my hand on his and tilted my head, rubbing my cheek in his palm. I wanted him to know that I was okay. I smiled, but it hurt and made me wince. My lips were chapped and bleeding. Christopher got a balm and rubbed it gently onto my lips and into the corners of my mouth. He cleaned up the cut on my cheek and put on a bandage. He softly touched the bruise on my eye where Daniel had hit me.

I tried to smile again. It hurt less this time. I think Christopher knew I was smiling through the pain. He seemed to become more depressed the more I did it. He was about to walk away to clean up when I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. This time, I had the worried expression on my face. I tilted my head in a questioning sort of way.

Christopher - "This sort of thing. It shouldn't happen to you. It happens to us, the pirates, the ones who deserve it. Not to innocent people…"

I tugged on his hand, unsure of what he meant. It wasn't like this world was fair and just. Bad shit happened to everyone, whether they deserved it or not.

Christopher - "You shouldn't be here."

My eyes widened in shock.

Christopher - "We bring you into trouble. We're a terrible influence on you. We cause you… pain. There's only so much I can do as a doctor! We can't… We can't provide for you in the way you want. You'll never have a proper life, with marriage and family. And in the end of it all… I don't want you to be like us. Bad men."

 _Bad men?_ He's a doctor that saves lives! How can he think of himself that way? And I had already changed so much since I'd first got on this boat. I wondered how long Christopher had kept this opinion to himself. I wondered how much he worried about me, whenever I'd go out. When Russell and I were imprisoned. And just now, when I had disappeared. How guilty was he feeling, for letting me stay on this boat, for letting pirates give me my bad reputation?

I waved my hands frantically, trying to convey my feelings. It was too late for me to leave now anyway. Also, I enjoyed this lifestyle. I wanted to stay! I loved everyone on this boat, even creepy Eduardo. I didn't want to leave. Christopher just stared at me sadly, unable to comprehend my flailing arms and hand gestures. I gave up and looked away.

Christopher - "How is it that you lost your voice?"

I shrugged.

Christopher - "... Heh, I guess you can't tell us until you get your voice back. Shouldn't take more than a few days. Here, drink lots of hot tea and honey."

He handed me a cup of tea that had been brewing on the table. I stirred in some honey. _A couple days until I get my voice back… What will I tell the crew then? How much of what happened on that boat should I tell them about?_ Was this Daniel guy working for Richard? The only reason I could think of why he'd call me that was because I used to work at Sirens. We were called the Siren girls, the serenaders of the sea. But why now? I was just outside of Yamato for two years, and Richard couldn't find me there. Why send a group of thugs to come get me? Is it even him? Maybe this has something to do with Charlie? And then there's actually being a siren. I couldn't get Daniel's words out of my head. _'Like I'd let you holler n' manipulate my men…' 'Don't make 'er scream…' 'You know what you are…'_ It was all so cryptic. But it seemed like Daniel had a better idea of who I was than I did. I just couldn't figure it out, and I didn't want to tell the crew until I knew for sure.

A couple days later, Morgan asked me how I was doing.

Morgan - "We miss your singing Alex! How's the voice coming along?"  
Alex - "Better…" I whispered. "Christopher doesn't want me talking much."  
Morgan - "Ah, boo him. When you're all better we'll have a party, you can sing us some more of those songs you know from Yamato." He winked at me.

I smiled sheepishly. Whenever we had a party, someone would ask me to sing something once they got drunk enough. I had become the resident bard. But for the past couple days I hadn't been making a sound. I guess the crew missed my voice.

When I was able to speak again, everyone gathered around on the deck to hear what had happened on the kidnapper's boat. I told them a slightly altered version of it. That they seemed to have captured me to bring me back to someone specific. That whoever 'he' was wanted me back in 'perfect condition' and 'untouched'. That they were going to continue coming after me. I said that maybe I'd lost my voice because I screamed for help so much, and the air was dry, and I hadn't drank water, and any other excuse I could come up with. They bought it all. I kept the siren business to myself.

Russell - "I bet, we could hear ya hollerin' all the way down the quay."

I laughed nervously.

Eduardo - "You don't know who they were? They didn't mention who they worked for?"  
Alex - "No… They hardly said anythin' to me."  
Morgan - "Hmm… There's nothing we can do about it now. If they wanna hunt us down, so be it! We'll be ready."

The men cheered in agreement.

Morgan - "Let's party! We've got one day 'till Prica Island, before the real work begins. Thomas, booze!"

It didn't take long for everyone to settle into their mugs of beer. I didn't want to drink, though. I had too much going on in my head. I needed to be alone for a bit. I wondered if I should go to the crow's nest. But Russell would just follow me up there, as he's always done. If I quit the party early they'd all be mad. If I snuck away, someone would find me somewhere on this ship. They always did.

Eduardo - "Alex! We want a song."  
Morgan - "Yeah, sing us a sexy one!"  
Russell - "Hey! Don't do what he says, Alex."

I was startled from my thoughts. _Oh no, they're asking me to sing._ I really didn't want to. Knowing the mythological powers of sirens, I was afraid to sing now. What if Daniel was right? What if I was somehow manipulating the crew this whole time? That scream on the ship was everything but ordinary. If they found out the things I could do with my voice… Sirens are natural enemies to seafarers. They'd kick me off this ship right away. But was it even all true?

Morgan - "What's taking so long?"  
Alex - "Ah, um, just uh, thinking of a song!"  
Russell - "Pick one already."  
Alex - "..."

They were being so demanding. I knew that they were drunk, but this was pushing it. Did they enjoy my singing that much… or is it the siren in me controlling them? Are these withdrawal symptoms or something?

Alex - "Ah, uh, y'know, I'm tired. I'm not gonna strain myself. I think I'll hit the hay!"

The crew grumbled their disapproval but let me leave. Soon they sang some pirate song and continued to drink and be merry. I headed down to the bunker Thomas and I still shared. It had become my home away from home, but now it felt like I shouldn't be there. I looked at Thomas who had quit early again from the night's festivities. He looked worried and restless. He must be nervous about Prica Island. I crawled into bed and curled up in a ball. I wanted to pretend it never happened. I wish I had never screamed. _I'm not a siren. They don't even exist. Do they?_ But if they do, and I am one… Why did this have to happen right after I cemented my decision to stay. I can't stay if I'm this thing!

I heard footsteps come down the stairs. They stopped at the foot of my bed.

? - "Alex…"

I looked up to see the shadowy figure of the Captain.

Alex - "Oh, Captain…"

He sat down beside me on my bed.

Morgan - "You've been acting awfully strange lately… You've got me worried."

Alex - "Strange? Me? Well, I haven't been able to speak so..."  
Morgan - "That's not what I'm talking about. You're refusing to sing. You can't look any of us in the eye. You run away from us every chance you get."  
Alex - "That's not true."

Morgan looked straight into my eyes. I looked away.

Morgan - "You're not the confident, sexy girl I know anymore."  
I scowled. "Captain!" I pulled the sheets up to cover myself. Morgan sighed.  
Morgan - "Alex, you know I'd never try anything with you. I made a promise and I intend to keep it. But you… you haven't made me any promises."  
Alex - "Is that something I'm supposed to do?"  
Morgan - "No… But I'd like to think we have that kind of relationship. I'd like to think that you could tell me the truth, no matter what… What happened to you on that ship? Something changed you. You're not the same."

My heart started to beat faster. Morgan was so close, so close to the truth. But I couldn't tell him. I still didn't believe it myself.

Alex - "I told you everything that happened… I guess I'm still adjusting is all."  
Morgan - "You've never been one to take long to adjust."  
Alex - "Don't act like you know me!"  
Morgan flinched like the words had actually hurt him. "Huh, maybe I don't…"  
Alex - "What?"  
Morgan - "Alex… I'll forgive you if you're lying to me… But the worst thing you could do is lie to yourself. Then you're the only one who can forgive you… It's a lot harder than you'd think."

I understood him, but he didn't know what he was talking about. If I admitted to myself that I'm a siren, a demon to sailors, then I'd have to leave this ship. I wouldn't want to be here, knowing the risk I posed to them, and the crew wouldn't want me here either. They'd feel betrayed. But I wanted to stay...

Morgan - "I'll leave you to sleep."  
Alex - "I'm not lying!" I yelled at his back. He continued walking away and soon the sounds of his footsteps disappeared.  
"I'm not…" I started to cry.

* * *

We reached Prica Island. It was more of a desert island if anything, there was hardly any foliage. It was hard to tell if that was because of the destruction or if it was just its natural state. There were pillars of cracked concrete that resembled corners of buildings. wood beams speckled the ground, their ends broken and spiky. Large stones and driftwood were strewn about, half buried. Some broken pottery peaked out from the sand. There was a section on the edge that was filled with dry, twig-like trees with yellow foliage. It looked like some gravestones were lined up there. There was really nothing left here.

The crew took this time to bathe in the sea and plan their next destination. Thomas, however, started to walk to the trees. I decided to join him. We walked in silence to his parents' graves. He looked very weary, like he hadn't gotten much sleep. We stood in front of them for a long time. I always thought you were supposed to bring flowers, or some sort of gift when you visited a grave. I had no such thing. I hadn't really thought about it until I got here. I looked at Thomas. He had kneeled down and placed his open pendant on the gravestone. I could see pictures of his parents in there. He looked like he was older somehow…

I started before I even realized what I was doing.

~  
'Cause though the truth may vary  
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore...

Don't listen to a word I say  
The screams all sound the same

Though the truth may vary  
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore  
~

Thomas looked at me surprised. I didn't care, I didn't care about anything. I had my eyes closed. I was singing from my soul. I didn't have flowers for the dead, so instead I gave the gift of song.

~  
You're gone, gone, gone away,  
I watched you disappear  
All that's left is a ghost of you

Now we're torn, torn, torn apart,  
there's nothing we can do,  
Just let me go, we'll meet again soon

Though the truth may vary  
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore…  
~

It was a shortened version, but it was the ballad that the people in my village would hum whenever the dead were sent out to sea. At some point our little graveyard had no more space left. So we came up with this alternative to burial. I remember crying when I sang it at Mildred's funeral. Thomas had stood up. He wiped the tears from my eyes. I hadn't even realized I was crying. He smiled at me.

Thomas - "... Thank you."  
Alex - "I'm sorry… I mean, what?"  
Thomas - "That's a beautiful song… Thank you for singing it to them."

He picked up his pendant. He took my hand and started to head back to shore. He didn't shed a tear in front of his parents' graves. It was so unlike him. He seemed so much stronger now, much more mature... Suddenly he grabbed my head and pushed me into the ground. We were both lying flat on our stomachs. I shook the sand out of my face.

Alex - "Thomas! The fuck are you -?"  
Thomas - "SH!"

He was looking intently ahead. I followed his gaze to see some military bodies rounding up the Sirius crew.

Alex - "I thought the military wouldn't be here?"  
Thomas - "I did, too… They're Reiz soldiers."  
Alex - "Why are they even here, no one lives here anymore."  
Thomas - "Border patrol might have seen us. But Russell didn't see anything for miles on our way in. They must have been waiting on the island."  
Alex - "Reiz is serious about pirates…"  
? - "Damn straight."

We both looked behind us to see a group of soldiers with shotguns pointed at us. They grabbed us and bound us, bringing us back to the Sirius. The rest of the crew was already on board and chained up. It looked like Morgan and Eduardo managed to hide the maps on them. We got thrown into the bundle. An important looking fellow approached us.

VIP - "So, you're the Sirius pirates. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Too bad it won't last very long."  
Morgan - "Where are you taking us?"  
VIP - "Back to the main city of Reiz. You men will go straight to the guillotine…" His eyes wandered to me. "Who're you? What's a woman doing with pirates?"  
I stuck my chin up. "Wouldn't you want to know."  
He laughed. "Ha! Cheeky."

I scowled.

The man had his crew set sail to the Sirius. We followed two other Reiz ships towards the main city. I looked around at the Sirius crew. It didn't look like anyone had a plan. Then again, maybe they had some sort of plan they all knew whenever stuff like this happened. It must have happened before, no?

The main city of Reiz was not far. We got there within the day. On our way over, the military had discovered Thomas' keepsakes. They argued over the validity of him being a citizen of Reiz and whether a death penalty was necessary for such a young boy. The man in charge declared that he be tried in front of the king. The king would want to know about the capture of the Sirius pirates, too.

When Reiz city came into view, it astounded me. I thought Moldor was a wealthy city, but seeing the tall, smooth buildings of Reiz brought the word wealthy to whole new heights. Every little bit of it oozed high class. The polished streets, gleaming walls and windows that reached so high into the sky. And the castle, the main castle! It looked to be made entirely of marble. Every bush, tree, and bunches of flowers were pruned perfectly. I felt like I'd walked into a fairytale.

We entered into the main hall where the royal family had been summoned. The King, Queen, and a young boy whom I assumed was the prince sat in their thrones.

VIP - "Your majesty! We've captured the Sirius pirates who were lurking by Prica Island -"  
King - "Prica Island?"

The King stood up swiftly and walked up to us. He stared at Thomas.

Thomas - "I know you…"  
King - "Leave us."  
VIP - "Your majesty? I-I don't think it a good idea to be left alone with these brutes…"  
The King glared at the man. "Leave immediately, and ensure that there is not a soul left in this room, aside from the prisoners."

The man bowed and left, ushering his soldiers out. The King faced Thomas and put a hand on his head.

King - "My dear Thomas… I thought you had died. I didn't think I'd ever get to… But I am so glad to see you again! You're alive!"

The King picked up Thomas in a huge bear hug. Thomas looked shocked.

Thomas - "S-See me again? Do I know you?"  
The King put him down. "Ah, I suppose you wouldn't remember much, you were so young. Thomas, when you were but a child I had to entrust you to the care of a dear friend of mine. The world could not know of your existence."  
Thomas - "... What are you saying?"  
King - "Thomas… You are my son."

Thomas stared at the King. He stepped forward, then started to sway. His head lolled back and he fell. The King caught him.

King - "Thomas?"

Thomas wasn't moving. His eyes were closed and his face looked like he was in pain. The King shook him.

King - "Thomas!"  
Christopher - "Your majesty, let me have a look at him."  
King - "No, Thomas!"  
Christopher - "Your majesty, please, I'm a doctor."

The King looked at Christopher. He had a crazed look on his face. But he did as Christopher asked and released him from his bonds. Christopher looked Thomas over.

Christopher - "He has a fever… but his hands are cold as ice. He's ill."  
King - "No… not when we have only just been reunited…"

* * *

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men, acoustic version by Julia Sheer and Jon D


	14. Chapter 14

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Thomas stared at the King. He stepped forward, then started to sway. His head lolled back and he fell. The King caught him.

King - "Thomas?"

Thomas wasn't moving. His eyes were closed and his face looked like he was in pain. The King shook him.

King - "Thomas!"

Christopher - "Your majesty, let me have a look at him."  
King - "No, Thomas!"  
Christopher - "Your majesty, please, I'm a doctor."

The King looked at Christopher. He had a crazed look on his face. But he did as Christopher asked and released him from his bonds. Christopher looked Thomas over.

Christopher - "He has a fever… but his hands are cold as ice. He's ill."  
King - "No… not when we have only just been reunited…"

* * *

Christopher - "Alex, you spent the most time with him, did you notice anything?"  
Alex - "Hm? Uh, no. He seemed kind of restless at night…"

Thomas coughed suddenly. The fit lasted a while.

Christopher - "This is bad. He's seriously ill."  
Alex - "He was fine at Prica Island! He didn't cough like that either. I swear, he didn't look this bad before!"

Thomas was sweaty all over and very pale. His breathing was shallow. How did he get so sick so fast?

Morgan - "Do you know what it is, Christopher?"  
Christopher - "I can't tell right now. I need more time. In the meantime, if I can get my hands on some medicinal herbs, I could treat his symptoms."  
King - "Use my infirmary."  
Christopher - "Your majesty… We're your prisoners."  
King - "You would know any disease caught on the waters better than my doctors. I trust you." He looked at the rest of the crew. "If Thomas has been travelling with you this whole time… I have to believe that you are good people. But I can't let you be free. The rest of you will have to spend some time in the jail cells. Our people are violently opposed to piracy." He looked back at Christopher and Thomas. "I'll keep this quiet, no one should disturb you in the infirmary."

The King called some trusted advisors and asked them to escort Christopher and Thomas to the infirmary, and the rest to the jail cells. At the last second, Christopher requested that I aid him in the infirmary.

Christopher - "I'll need an assistant, and Alex is also the most familiar with Thomas' behaviour over the last few days. If I can't use your own doctors to help me, I'll need her help."

The King took a good long look at me. He nodded. We all went our separate ways. When I looked back at the royal family, the Queen was arguing with the King. She did not look pleased that the King had another child. She must not have known. I could hear her chiding him about the secrecy. The prince was looking back at us the same as I was at them. He wouldn't take his eyes off me.

Over in the infirmary Christopher worked with the herbs, potions, and mortar and pestles, concocting various things that he thought would help Thomas. I told him everything I could. About how he thought the beer was making him sleepy. I told him exactly when he started to go to bed early and wouldn't drink. About the times he always coughed before leaving me. About how he struggled to sleep. I'd never really thought about these things as signs of illness. I always thought it had to do with Prica Island…

Alex - "I'm sorry, I didn't notice! He never said he was feelin' off, and the beer thing was a joke…"  
Christopher - "It's not your fault Alex."  
Alex - "But… If I'd paid more attention."  
Christopher - "No, you're right. Thomas had a lot on his mind. He could have just been worried about going to Prica Island."

I really wanted to believe that, but I still couldn't help feeling guilty. I thought I knew Thomas well. I thought he'd trust me enough to tell me he wasn't feeling well. I thought I was the kind of person he could come to about these things. I guess he didn't think that. Is it because of me? Have I been pushing everyone away lately?

After a while Christopher got fed up and slammed his hands on the table. Thomas was lying down on a cot. He looked a little better now, so I wasn't sure why Christopher was so frustrated.

Alex - "He looks better now, Christopher. The colour is back in his skin a bit. I think the herbal medicine is working."  
Christopher - "It's no use… I've seen this before. A fast onset of symptoms like that. He might look better, but… He'll be dead in a few weeks, maybe a month."

I froze. He'd be dead. As in not alive. And there's nothing we could do? I was shaking as I took Thomas' hand. I clutched him, like somehow I could keep him here with sheer willpower.

Alex - "Dead?" I whispered.  
Christopher - "This can't be happening again…"  
Alex - "Again?"  
Christopher looked at me. "This illness… It killed my family."  
Alex - "But not you. You survived?"  
Christopher shook his head. "I never got it. This kind of disease, I don't know how it spreads. Some people are immune, some aren't. No one has ever survived it though. We'd all have it at this point since we've been with Thomas on the ship so long. Since none of us do, we must be immune… I know I am."  
Alex - "Oh, god… And there's nothing we can do? He's just going to be like this until he dies?"

My eyes started to well up with tears. Just when he met his real father, a King of an empire! Right after he returned home for the first time since his parents died. Why did this have to happen to him, of all people?

Christopher - "There could be something we could do…"  
Alex - "What?!"  
Christopher - "Earth Palm…"  
Alex - "What's that?"  
Christopher - "It's a miracle herb that cures any disease. It's the stuff of myths and legends, but it's why I joined Morgan's crew. He was looking for Skull Island, the place that Earth Palm is rumoured to grow. I thought Skull Island was just a legend, too, but now we have a map." He punched the wall. "But only half a map!"  
Advisor - "A map to Skull Island?"

The King's advisors had stayed with us in the infirmary to watch us. We were still prisoners, we were still illegal pirates in an enemy country. They needed to make sure we wouldn't run.

Christopher - "Yes."  
Advisor - "... The King has a map in his collection. He took it from some pirates who had crossed into our waters. They were headed to Skull Island."  
Alex - "The King has the second half?!"  
Advisor - "Second half? Oh, yes, well, the half you have is unnecessary, unless you're coming from Moldor, which I guess you were then? No, the half we have is the half that depicts the Reiz empire. Skull Island is here."  
Christopher - "Sir, we need that map."  
Advisor - "You'll have to convince the King then. And then you'll have to convince him to let you go."  
Christopher - "His son is on his deathbed. He has to let us go."

We left Thomas in the care of the other advisors and followed the one back to the King's quarters. We entered his room and Christopher explained the situation to the King. At the end the King took a long pause to consider Christopher's offer.

King - "I've heard of Skull Island before… I've even heard of Earth Palm. But these are just myths."  
Christopher - "Your majesty, you can have your doctors treat Thomas all you want, but I assure you it is incurable. While we're away, your doctors can give him the herbal medicine I made to keep him alive, but without Earth Palm he will die."  
King - "Hm… I would need collateral. To ensure that this isn't a plot for your escape."  
Alex - "We would never leave Thomas to die!" I was insulted that he would think that. The King raised a hand.  
King - "I want to believe you, but I have to be sure seeing as I've only just met you. For all I know, you could be lying about going to get Earth Palm. I can't tell how dear Thomas is to your crew. And you have the notorious reputation of the Sirius pirates. Men, bring up the rest of the crew."

The Sirius crew shuffled in, looking disheveled from spending the night in the jailcell. The King looked each of us over.

King - "I'll keep one of you with me to ensure your return. If you don't return within… let's say one month's time, then the person I keep shall be hanged."  
Eduardo - "Before we agree, I'd like to see the map, to see if we can complete our mission within the time frame you have set."

The King handed the map to Eduardo. He studied it for a moment then nodded.

Eduardo - "One month is plenty of time."  
Christopher - "I'll stay."

Everyone looked at him.

Christopher - "I shouldn't be needed on the ship for such a short voyage. And Thomas needs to be cared for here. I'll stay."

The rest of the crew remained quiet, but I could tell they didn't want to leave Christopher behind. It was part of their moral code.

King - "No."  
Christopher - "What?"  
King - "I'll choose who stays with me. It has to be someone who you… obviously care for..." His eyes rested on me. "You girl…"  
Russell - "NO!"  
Morgan put a hand on Russell's shoulder. He also stopped Nathan from stepping forward. "Russell, don't."  
Russell - "He can't take her…"  
Morgan - "We're in no position to argue."  
Eduardo - "She's not essential to our crew, we don't care about her, take me instead."  
King - "Why would I take your ship's navigator? How would you find the island without him? Also, based on your reactions I can confirm that I chose well. Earth Palm or not, you'll return for her."

The crew was clearly agitated about leaving me behind, possibly to be hanged. The King assured them that it was for their benefit, too. If they came back and the King had not kept his promise of keeping me alive, then they would be free to go, no imprisonment or penalty.

Nathan - "Our freedom would mean nothin' if ya kill 'er."  
King - "Understood. She will be under my protection until your return."

I could tell the crew was still very opposed to this idea.

Alex - "Guys… Captain… You need to do this for Thomas. I'm not the one dying here. So don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll wait for you at the docks!" I turned to Christopher. "Someone needs to take care of Thomas while you guys are gone… I can do that."  
Christopher tried to smile back. "You remember everything I taught you?"  
I nodded cheerily. "Most of it yeah! But if you could leave behind some instructions, that would be very helpful."  
King - "It's settled then! Sirius, please make your preparations as soon as possible. I want you out of here by morning."

The sun was rising when I went down to the docks to bid farewell to the crew. I hadn't slept all night, what with taking care of Thomas and helping the crew prep for their journey. I was exhausted. But I still wanted to see them off. They worked quietly. They weren't yelling at each like usual. The King was also here to see them off.

I was scared to be left behind. This was the first time in months that I'd be separated from the crew. What was I going to do here on land without them? I took my bandana off and tied it around Nathan's neck. He looked at me, confused.

Alex - "I-I heard it's chilly over on Skull Island… Just keep it on ya okay? I wanna know you're being safe."

Nathan smiled and ruffled my hair. I slipped a seashell pendant necklace into Eduardo's breast pocket. Surprised, he looked at what I had given him.

Alex - "I know you've been giving gifts to me." I whispered. "You can give this back when you return."  
Eduardo - "I always knew you could keep a secret… Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." He smirked.  
Alex - "Yes, sir."

I ran over to Russell and hugged him.

Russell - "Hey, get off me!"  
Alex - "No!"  
Russell - "Ugh…"

He stopped struggling and just stood there, letting me hug him. His face was flushed. The crew snickered.

Alex - "Come back in one piece, okay?"  
Russell - "Well I ain't comin' back if I'm in two, am I?"

My face fell.

Russell - "It's a joke! A joke… I'll be fine, aight?"

I smiled. I went over to Christopher and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Alex - "And you… please come back."  
Christopher - "... Of course."  
Alex - "The crew needs you… Don't go doin' anything dumb, k?"

Christopher - "Isn't that something you should say to Russell?" He smiled.

He was trying so hard to be calm, but I could tell he was tense. I didn't have a chance to talk to him about his family and the disease, everything happened so fast, and despite his composure I could tell it was on his mind. I had never seen Christopher like this before. He was always so in control of his emotions.

Alex - "Yeah, but Russell's heard it from me enough. I've never said that to you. I've never had to worry until now. You looked so angry before I just… Just think before you go risking your life… okay?"  
Christopher - "... Thank you, Alex."

Lastly I went up to the Captain. I handed him a scroll with the King's stamp.

Alex - "If any of the Reiz military cause you trouble out there, this will keep you safe. It grants you immunity. You could rob a general's home and they couldn't touch you."  
Morgan - "Don't give me any ideas, Alex." He winked. I laughed and gave him a hug. He rested his hand on my head and kissed the top of it discreetly. I pulled away and smiled, pretending I hadn't noticed.

I wanted them to stay a little longer, but I knew I was already keeping them. I waved farewell and watched the boat leave port until it was a small dot on the horizon. The guards who were posted with me escorted me back to the castle where Thomas was staying.

The King put Thomas into another room. It looked like a bigger version of the Captain's quarters. There were sheer drapes around this bed, though, and purple velvet instead of red all around the walls and windows. It had a high ceiling. A servant came in with a kettle of hot water and the medicinal herbs and equipment Christopher had been working with. She set it down on a polished table in the middle of the room. I brewed Thomas some herbal medicine and slowly passed it between his lips.

He still hadn't woken up. I watched him sleep for a bit. I moved his hair from his forehead. He looked so peaceful. It was weird not seeing a smile on his face. Sometimes, even when he was asleep, he'd be smiling, dreaming. I smiled to myself, nodding off. I woke myself up suddenly. I forgot how tired I was. I needed sleep, but I wanted to be on 24 hour watch for Thomas. I knew I couldn't do that, so I crawled into bed next to him. His body was so warm. His hands were so clammy. If he weren't sick, I'd just think the warmth was nice and cozy, and that he was just nervous and sweaty being next to me. _Thomas… stay here until they come back with Earth Palm. Don't leave me._ I fell asleep holding his hand.

The King went to great efforts to make me comfortable. He offered me a room of my own, but I said I preferred to stay next to Thomas. The bed was big enough for the both of us anyway. He gave me access to the infirmary, the baths, the terrace, the kitchen, practically everywhere in the castle. I would have been excited to see all the rooms and walk all the long corridors if I weren't so worried about Thomas and the crew. I spent most of my days by his side, watching for any signs of him getting worse. The staff would bring us meals. I would wake Thomas up just enough so he could have a few spoonfuls before he passed out again. I had a maid who would bring me anything I needed to take care of Thomas. I had two guards with me at all times, and four guards if I ever left the castle grounds.

One day I wanted to go out and buy some medicinal herbs. I asked the King for permission, but he said that he could just send the errand boy. I said that the last time he did that, the errand boy hadn't bought the right herbs. It would be better if I went since I was more familiar with them. Reluctantly he agreed, but he had me wear something more of the royal fashion. He didn't want anyone being suspicious of some commoner having four royal guards posted with her. He also told me that if anyone asked, I was a Duke's daughter visiting from Winchester. I asked what the Duke's name is. He said to make up a name since there's so many damn Dukes in Winchester, no one would know. I was going to ask if I could carry a weapon, but I felt that wouldn't stand with him at all. I had lost them back when I got kidnapped, and I felt naked without them. Exposed. More exposed than I felt when I worked at Sirens. I never knew I could become so attached to such deadly things.

I wore a pale blue dress with white lace and I placed a bonnet on my head to hide my face more. Holding a wicker basket, I headed into town with my four guards. The pale beige brick of the road was so shiny I thought I'd slip on them. Everything glimmered in the sunlight. Leaves of roadside trees gleamed, the smooth rock faces of buildings shone yellow, burgundy, hazel, and the people here were so refined and well dressed. I definitely would have stuck out if I had come into town with my regular clothes. People still paid attention to me though, in an off-hand way. They skirted the guards and nodded respectfully, letting me pass first and avoiding our gazes. The guards must be intimidating here.

I stopped by at a herbalist. Two guards remained outside and the other two followed me in. Compared to outside, it was very dark inside the shop. I remembered Christopher had said something about keeping herbs away from sunlight, some of them would wilt or dry out or the sun would just damage them somehow if they were left out too long. It was a little musty and humid. It reminded me of the ship. I missed the boys. They should be back soon. The shopkeeper was very polite to me. I'd never been treated with such courtesy. It must be the effect of the guards. I made my purchases and headed back out to sunny Reiz city.

I could hear the ocean from outside the herbalist's shop. It beckoned me like temptation, I felt the wanting for something that wasn't good for me. I had lived on the ocean so long, I didn't like that it made me feel this way now. It was the place of my adventure, but also a stinging, salty reminder of my true self. The self that I was still denying to be true.

I asked the guards if we could walk down to the pier, I hadn't been outside in a long time. They agreed, but said that I needed to keep it short. I walked down to the rocky shore. A couple small docks stretched out into the water. Some wooden boats were not far out, filled with fishermen reeling in their nets. The waves were so tiny compared to what I'd seen from the ship. I took my shoes off and dipped my toes into the water a bit, hopping from rock to rock. The breeze chilled my feet every time they were out of the water. The sun was behind me, casting my rippling shadow onto the water.

 _I wonder… I just have to know._

I closed my eyes and started to hum…

~  
All I want to get is, a little bit closer  
All I wanna know is, can you come a little closer?  
Here comes the breath before we get a little bit closer  
Here comes the rush before we touch, come a little closer  
~

I sang out stronger, louder. It had been a while since I had enjoyed singing, I had been stopping myself from doing it lately. It felt great to belt it out on the shore.

~  
The doors are open, the wind is really blowing  
The night sky is changing overhead  
It's not just all physical -  
~

A crash of waves and yelling brought me to a halt. I opened my eyes to see the fishermen struggling in their tiny boats. The waves had gotten bigger, and were pushing the boat towards the dock. The fishermen managed to get their oars out in time and row themselves back to where they were. The waves calmed down. I heard one of the guards say, "freak undertow maybe…?" I shivered. This was no coincidence. I couldn't go on denying it anymore. _I'm a siren…_ One of the guards held my hand as I hopped back onto the promenade. He wouldn't let go, but instead gripped it harder. I looked down the walkway to see the other guards standing defensively, blocking a group of men from getting any closer. _Oh no, what now? It seems every time I sing bad things happen now._

Guard 1 - "Men like you have no business here."  
? - "Ah, we just wanna talk to the pretty lady."  
Guard 2 - "We can't allow that."

 _I recognize that voice…_ I peered around the guards to get a better look at the men. The one standing in front was Daniel. _How'd they find me?_ Daniel saw me peeking through.

Daniel - "Hey there, sweetheart. Heard your voice from down the quay… Just couldn't resist."  
Guard 2 - "Go on, now. We don't want to -"

AARGH!

The guard holding my hand yelled out in pain. I looked at him to see a sword coming out of his chest. I jumped away. The man who had stabbed him lunged at me, but my guard swiftly surrounded me and started battling with the men. If only I had a weapon, I could help! I looked at the fallen guard. Without a second thought I reached for his sword and drew it. I circumvented my guard and attacked the men at the side.

Guard 1 - "Lady Alex, no!"  
Alex - "I have to do something!"

It seemed we would win this fight, despite there being more of the men than my guards. They were skilled swordsmen, far superior at fighting that Daniel and his men. We pushed them back, injuring quite a few. It looked like the men might give up when -

Daniel - "No, not her!"

My parry had failed and my foe's sword slipped through, slicing my chest. The wound was shallow, but it spanned from the bottom of my breast to the opposite shoulder. I bent over in pain. I clutched my chest, feeling the blood pooling in my hand. I could hear Daniel yelling, "You idiot!"

Guard 1 - "Take her to the doctor!"

One of the guards scooped me up and began running with me. We hadn't gone far down the road when he barreled through a door into a house. The man inside yelled out in frustration, but quieted immediately when my guard told him the situation. The man, who I assumed was this doctor they spoke of, said to set me down on the table. He tore open my dress so he could begin cleaning my wound. I could feel cool water running over my chest. It stung so much. It felt so heavy. I coughed violently, spurting blood everywhere. I heard the doctor say, "Oh, that's not good," before I passed out.

* * *

Lyrics from Closer by Tegan and Sara


	15. Chapter 15

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

Guard 1 - "Take her to the doctor!"

One of the guards scooped me up and began running with me. We hadn't gone far down the road when he barreled through a door into a house. The man inside yelled out in frustration, but quieted immediately when my guard told him the situation. The man, who I assumed was this doctor they spoke of, said to set me down on the table. He tore open my dress so he could begin cleaning my wound. I could feel the cool water running over my chest. It stung so much. It felt so heavy. I coughed violently, spurting blood everywhere. I heard the doctor say, "Oh, that's not good," before I passed out.

* * *

The Sirius was barely at half mast, slowly navigating the rocky waters. They had finally reached Skull Island, but first they had to go through the forest of stone pillars to reach the main, also stony, island. The dense fog didn't make things easier. Tattered sails and broken beams were scattered all over these rocks, swirling into view out of the fog. The ship pushed through canals filled with splintered wood. Clearly many ships had come in, and never made it out. Eventually the island came into view. The cliff face was surrounded by circling black birds, who occasionally perched in the divots of the rock face, which eerily resembled a skull. The ship slowly came to a stop as it came up on the sandy shore. The crew disembarked.

Morgan - "This is Skull Island…"  
Eduardo - "The map indicates the treasure should be near the base of the mountain over there… On the north side."

Eduardo started walking towards the mountain.

Morgan - "Eduardo, not so fast. Let's look around first, make sure there's no -"  
Eduardo - "We don't have time for that, we need to get back to Reiz as soon as possible."  
Morgan - "I know that, but if we blindly run into trouble we'll never get back to Reiz."  
Russell - "We're the Sirius crew, Cap, we'll be fine!"

Russell followed Eduardo. Morgan sighed. The crew always went amuck whenever they came close to treasure. It usually ended in them getting into some kind of trouble. This time they couldn't afford any recklessness. Thomas didn't have much time left. But he was a fighter, and the crew knew that. No one was too worried about Thomas, except maybe for Christopher. Everyone else was far more worried about their dear Alex. Alex… He knew she could take care of herself, but that girl was a magnet for trouble. On the way here, his chest hurt every time he thought about her.

Morgan - "Be very alert men, no mistakes."  
All - "Aye, Cap."

They started toward the mountain, heading into the dense forest, Eduardo leading the way. It became very humid once they got into the thick of it. Eduardo kept looking behind him, a habit he had developed from always checking on Alex whenever they went out together. She had a bad habit of wandering. He gritted his teeth. He had gotten too used to having her around. He found himself getting irritated at the crew since he didn't have her to shout orders at. And he was irritated now, too. Why did it have to be her left behind? He had a bad feeling in his stomach this whole time. He just felt like something bad was going to happen, as it always did when she was out of his sight.

They reached the base of the mountain. The sides were more like sheer cliffs, almost vertical. The rock was wet and shiny from the humidity. It was almost like they were underwater. By now their clothes were sticking to their skin, their faces beading with sweat. They continued around the base of the mountain, to the north side. It looked like they were going in circles, the mountainside looked the same all around.

Eduardo spotted a slim crack in the side of the mountain, enough for two people to fit in. It was pitch black inside. Christopher took a match and lit the lantern they had brought with them. He went into the crack first. A flurry of bats flew out instantly, forcing the crew to duck.

Christopher - "I hope that's the only surprise in here…"

Christopher walked slowly. The ground was uneven and slippery. As they went along, the cave got wider and wider. Pristine stalagmites and stalactites grew larger as they went deeper, and pools of water started to dot the ground. It was silent except for their footsteps, laboured breathing, and the dripping of water.

Christopher was glad that they were finally on Skull Island. The whole time on the ship he worried about Thomas. Would they even find the island, would Earth Palm even be there, and even if it were, would they get back in time? Would it even work, as the legends say? But now he could concentrate on the task at hand, traversing this cave. He could take his mind off Thomas for now, until they got back onto the ship. He tightened his hand into a fist. How was Alex doing, tending to Thomas? He wished he was the one who stayed behind. If Thomas died before the crew came back… He didn't want Alex to be the one to see that. He didn't want Alex to be the one who would feel responsible for it, being the only one there. He knew how that felt, and he didn't want her to go through the same thing. She didn't need anything more added to the weight on her shoulders.

The crew reached a fork in the road.

Nathan - "Which way, Cap?"  
Eduardo - "Should we split up?"  
Morgan - "No, we need to play it safe this time 'round… Let's go right."

Morgan kicked a stalagmite on the path to the entrance. It broke off.

Morgan - "Now we know which way we came from. Let's go."

The crew continued, alternating their choices whenever they came to a fork in the road. They hoped this would lead them to the centre of the mountain fastest, which is where they assumed the treasure would be. They eventually reached a cavern, but it was small and at the other end was what looked like a large round door. Christopher walked up to the torches on both sides and lit them. The cavern was illuminated.

Strange markings were etched all over the cavern, from floor to ceiling. Eduardo was very curious about them, but they didn't have time to read them. They walked up to the door. It was embedded into the wall, with no edges to grab, push, or pull it open. Morgan scratched his head.

Russell - "Do we need some kinda key or somethin'?"  
Eduardo - "There's no keyhole…"  
Russell - "What about these things?"

Russell poked at some small stone cylinders jutting out of the wall beside the door. Some were pushed into the wall, some were about a half a foot out.

Morgan - "It could be some kind of code to open the door. Push some in, pull some out."

Russell went to push a cylinder in. Nathan grabbed his hand.

Nathan - "That wasn't an order! We get the wrong code, might be booby trapped."  
Russell - "Right."

Morgan and Eduardo started looking around the cavern to find clues as to what the code could be. Russell walked around, looking in a hurry. He wasn't a literary kind of guy like Morgan or Eduardo or Christopher, but he wanted to find it first. He wanted to find it now. He couldn't believe that Morgan would just leave Alex behind with that King. Sure, he had set up guards for her, but if they were anything like other guards he'd beaten to a pulp, they wouldn't be any good at protecting her. And what if they wanted to do something to her? She shouldn't be left with strange men. Why couldn't she just be with him right now, by his side, right where she belongs… To protect her! Not that he wants to be with her, it's just to protect her. If they didn't find the Earth Palm, the King might still hang her. Who knew if they could trust his word. They needed the Earth Palm to secure her safety. Russell got frustrated and swung his blade at the wall.

Christopher - "Russell!"  
Russell - "What?!"

Christopher gave Russell a stern look.

Russell - "Yeah, I know…"  
Christopher - "No, look."

The rest of the crew gathered around Christopher. There was an image on the wall that resembled the position of the cylinders. Small circles were arranged in the same pattern, some empty, some filled. A legend at the side seemed to explain what "filled" and "unfilled" represented.

Christopher - "Eduardo?"  
Eduardo - "Yeah, I'll tell you which ones to move."

Christopher and Eduardo worked together to decipher the code. Whenever Christopher moved a cylinder, it settled in with a loud clunk. Christopher moved the last cylinder needed to complete the pattern. They waited.

Russell - "Nothing's happening! Is this even a door?"  
Morgan - "Maybe it's not the right code."  
Nathan - "Then we mighta just set somethin' off."  
Morgan - "I certainly hope not."

There was a grinding sound that resonated strongly in the small cavern. The round door moved slightly and dust fell from its edges. Then it rolled smoothly into the wall. Christopher grabbed the lantern again and they headed down another corridor. There was a faint light at the end of the tunnel.

They stepped out into a massive cavern, many times bigger than what they were just in. A crack in the ceiling let a beam of light in, casting a soft glow on the mountain of treasure in the middle. Oddly, this room was very cool. The air wasn't humid, but it was misty. The crew could see their breath in the air. Nathan touched the bandana around his neck.

' _I heard it's chilly over on Skull Island.'_

Nathan remembered Alex's words. He smiled to himself. She was right, it is chilly. The crew headed in, laughing, oo-ing, and awe-ing at the treasure. Nathan scooped up some gold coins and let them slip through his fingers. He thought of all the food he could buy with this money, all the equipment he could upgrade. Maybe he could even get a proper 'baker's cap' for Alex, like the one she had in Yamato. The crew really appreciated his food, but he especially liked it when Alex was excited about his food. He enjoyed cooking for her. He wanted her to stay with them… Not just until Yamato, but more than that. He wanted her around all the time. He wondered how she was doing in Reiz. Was she eating well?

Christopher had completely ignored the treasure and went to the edge of the cavern. There was a mossy area with glossy green and purple leaves growing in bunches. He knelt down and felt them between his fingers. He had never seen Earth Palm before, but he knew from what he'd heard that it was an oval leaf with purple at the edges, and it grew in moist environments. This plant fit that description. He checked around the cavern while the crew looted, looking for other plants in case he might be wrong. It was the only one he found that fit the description. He collected as much as he could in the pouch he brought. It was the first time in days that he felt optimistic.

Christopher - "I've got the Earth Palm!"  
Russell - "How do ya know it's Earth Palm?"  
Christopher - "I've heard descriptions of it… This fits it exactly! Let's get back to Reiz as soon as possible."  
Morgan - "Good! Men, grab as much treasure as you can for now. We can always come back!"

Everyone piled as much as they could in the sacs they had brought. Once finished, they headed back out. Christopher punched in a cylinder to close the door. It slammed shut, shaking the small cavern entrance. It sent a rumble through the walls. The rumbling didn't stop.

Morgan - "Is that… supposed to happen?"

The rumbling got worse. Dust and small rocks started to fall from the ceiling.

Eduardo - "Run!"

The Sirius crew booked it down the tunnels they came from. They made it out just in time before the original small crack they had entered caved in.

Nathan - "So much fer comin' back."  
Christopher - "But we got what we came for…"  
Morgan - "Yes, let's head back!"

The crew made their way back to the ship. The humidity didn't bother them as much now. They travelled back faster. They were even more determined now to make it out of Skull Island. Nathan and Russell pushed the ship back into the water, then climbed some ropes to get back onto the deck. They reeled in the anchor and set sail. They had to go slow again to maneuver around the rocks, but they made it out in one piece. Eduardo was frustrated with the slow pace. They almost crashed the side into a rock pillar due to their haste. Everyone wanted to get back as fast as possible.

Much like with every journey back, it felt like it took less time to get to Reiz city. Russell was in the crow's nest when he spotted the thin edge of the Reiz in the distance. He yelled like a madman at the crew, telling them he could see the city. Everyone's hopes were up. They cheered and had a night of drinking before they reached the city. Morgan was relieved to have booze again. He was so stressed on the way to Skull Island he had quit drinking. That night, he stumbled back into his room. He fell onto his bed on his stomach, happy, drunk, and full of anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Alex's smiling face at the dock as they pulled into port. He'd hug her and twirl her in the air and… He frowned. He saw the dress he gave her on that first night peeking through the clothes hanging in the wardrobe. And that's as far as he'd ever let himself go. Unless he wanted to stop living a lie.

Eduardo sat at his desk in his room. He was staring at the unrestored Ullr map. It looked familiar. He swore he'd seen these islands before. But the map was different somehow. He slammed his fists down on the table. He wanted Alex there with him so he could yell his frustrations at her. He wanted to tell her how he couldn't figure this map out. He wanted to hear her tell him something that would make him feel better, like she always did. Right now, he felt like a failure. He felt lost. He picked up the seashell necklace he had on the table. He wanted to hear that sultry voice of hers as soon as possible. Somehow it intoxicated him just as much as his mug of ale, if not more.

Russell and Nathan stayed on the deck, still drinking. It was a calm night and not too cold. The ocean seemed brighter, like it was reflecting their mood.

Russell - "... Ya think she'll wanna go back?"  
Nathan - "Huh?"  
Russell - "Alex…"  
Nathan scratched his face. "She said she'd stay with us 'till we found the treasure."  
Russell - "When'd she say that?! And to you?"  
Nathan smirked. "Jealous?"

Russell scoffed and looked away.

Nathan - "Ah, Russell, everyone knows ya got a thing fer Alex."  
Russell - "I do not!"  
Nathan - "Whateva."  
Russell - "... Does that mean she's goin' back though? We found the treasure."  
Nathan - "... I dunno. Up to 'er I guess. Captain will take 'er back if she wants to."

They both sat in silence.

Nathan - "I'm not gonna let 'er go back."  
Russell - "What?"  
Nathan - "She belongs with us… Just ain't the same without 'er, yknow?"  
Russell - "Yeah…"

Russell agreed with Nathan. He wasn't about to let her just walk off this ship and back into a town that would likely arrest her. He didn't trust anyone in that town to take care of her properly either. Only he could do that for her, for sure.

Nathan had the intention of keeping her on the ship from a while back. That's why he cooked her food from Yamato. She doesn't need to go back if he does that for her. She doesn't need to go back to the bakery when she can bake here. And she can sing here, too. It's basically the same as home. She doesn't need to get married there… When she could get married here.

Christopher had went to the sick bay immediately when they had boarded. He went to work using various extraction methods, muddling the herb, boiling the herb, every method of medicine he could think of. He created several concoctions of Earth Palm. He wasn't sure how potent or effective it was, so he wanted various doses. He had worked tirelessly night and day. Now he stood in the sick bay looking at his work. He lightly touched the sapling he had potted of the strange purple leaf. He was very happy to have found Earth Palm. His life's goal was complete. He didn't have to worry about anyone dying on him ever again. He could travel the seas with confidence and… And do what? Now that he'd completed his goal… What should he do now? He supposed they still needed to return Alex to Yamato. Was that really the best course of action for her? Would she be safe? He rubbed his eyes. He was too tired to keep thinking about these things. Besides, giving Earth Palm to Thomas would ensure her safety, for now. And that's all that mattered.

The next day they docked into the port of Reiz city. The King was there to greet them, along with his guards. Morgan wondered why Alex wasn't with him. They should have seen the ship from a distance, why didn't she come running? He could feel that the crew felt the same uneasiness he felt. They walked up to the King.

King - "I'm glad to see you all back safe and sound. Were you successful?"  
Christopher - "Yes, we found the Earth Palm. I don't mean to be rude, but I want to give this to Thomas right now."  
King - "Of course, let's make haste."

The crew made their way to the castle. On the way up, Eduardo asked about Alex.

Eduardo - "Is Alex with Thomas?"  
King - "Hm?"  
Eduardo - "I'm just wondering why she's not here. She said she'd be at the docks when we came in. Did you lock her up somewhere?" His voice was tinged lightly with malice.  
King - "Ah, yes, well. I was hoping you wouldn't ask for her so soon… A couple days ago, she got injured. It's just a flesh wound -"  
Russell - "What happened to Alex?!"

Russell grabbed the front of the King's robe. The guards pointed their guns at him.

Russell - "What did you do to 'er!"  
Morgan - "Russell, calm down!"

Morgan pulled Russell off the King.

The King patted down his front. "She's recovering… She hasn't woken up yet."  
Eduardo - "Why not? Is she unconscious?"  
King - "Not exactly… I'm afraid Alex hasn't been entirely truthful to you… Or else you'd have never had her on your ship."


	16. Chapter 16

Previously, on Pirates In Love...

The crew made their way to the castle. On the way up, Eduardo asked about Alex.

Eduardo - "Is Alex with Thomas?"  
King - "Hm?"  
Eduardo - "I'm just wondering why she's not here. She said she'd be at the docks when we came in. Did you lock her up somewhere?" His voice was tinged lightly with malice.  
King - "Ah, yes, well. I was hoping you wouldn't ask for her so soon… A couple days ago, she got injured. It's just a flesh wound -"  
Russell - "What happened to Alex?!"

Russell grabbed the front of the King's robe. The guards pointed their guns at him.

Russell - "What did you do to 'er!"  
Morgan - "Russell, calm down!"

Morgan pulled Russell off the King.

The King patted down his front. "She's recovering… She hasn't woken up yet."  
Eduardo - "Why not? Is she unconscious?"  
King - "Not exactly… I'm afraid Alex hasn't been entirely truthful to you… Or else you'd have never had her on your ship."

* * *

They walked to the castle in silence. The King refused to give any more information until Thomas was treated. The crew was apprehensive. What was with the King's cryptic warning? How did Alex get injured? Of course something like this would happen while they were away. The girl seemed to attract the worst of men.

They reached Thomas' room. Christopher hastily gave him what he believed to be the most potent version of the Earth Palm medicine. He checked his vitals and replaced the cloth on his forehead for a cooler one. He looked very thin and pale compared to when they had left him. Christopher rubbed his head, a worried expression on his face. He explained to the King that he'd have to wait and see if there were any changes before he knew for sure if it was working. The King agreed and reminded them that they'd still be in his custody until signs of life returned to Thomas.

Russell - "Well, ya got us 'ere, tell us more 'bout Alex!"  
Eduardo - "Better yet, take us to her."  
The King nodded. "Please, follow me."

The King led them to the room he had originally set up for her that she had refused. She appeared peaceful and healthy, her chest rising and falling gently in her sleep.

Christopher - "What's her injury?"  
The King - "She doesn't have one anymore…"  
Christopher - "You said she was still recovering."  
The King - "Not from her chest wound. That healed up within the first day."  
Russell - "What?! How?"

The King sighed. He wondered how easily the people of Moldor empire would believe this story. He started by explaining how Alex was injured. How she'd gone out to buy some herbs, accompanied by guards of course. How she was attacked by a mercenary crew led by one named Daniel.

Eduardo - "Daniel? Again?"  
The King - "Oh? You know him?"

Morgan crossed his arms and tucked his chin in. "We've heard of him from Alex. He tried to kidnap her once before."

The King - "... And you still kept her with you after that?"  
Eduardo - "She claimed to have no idea why Daniel took her." Eduardo's suspicions were growing. "We're not afraid of some mercenaries, we can protect her fine."  
The King - "She's not the one that needs protection."

The King gave them all a stern look.

The King - "Alex carries the blood of a Siren."

The crew stood silent.

Nathan - "Sirens don't exist…"  
Russell - "What are ya tryin' ta pull here? Feedin' us some bullshit fairytale story!" Russell launched himself at the King again, but Morgan held him back.  
The King - "I had a feeling you wouldn't believe me. Siren's Cove is in Reiz after all."  
Eduardo - "Siren's Cove…?" He abruptly turned around and exited the room.

The King nodded at a guard who followed Eduardo. He turned back to the remaining crew and began to explain the so-called myth of the sirens.

They've been around for as long as the Reiz empire has, and they used to have many islands that they called home. Countless sailors would fall victim to their cries, never to return home to tell the tall tales of the screeching harpies. Their waters were left uncharted since no one would ever come back. Eventually, one brave crew did make a return trip, bringing with them a siren they had captured. The crew asked how they kept it alive without being affected by its song. The King laughed and said, "The crew was female! Sirens are only hell bent on men."

Over time and with much research, a poison was concocted that incapacitated the Sirens. Reiz soldiers sailed out and began to eradicate them, forcing them to flee. The Sirens went into hiding. They took up refuge on the only island remaining in uncharted waters, and since then their existence went from rare, to legend, and finally myth.

The poison was also lost in time, as a key ingredient of it was the Earth Palm which grew scarce as they used it to make the poison. Christopher was shocked. The Earth Palm healed everyone and everything, right?

The King - "For humans, yes, Earth Palm is very effective. However, Sirens are not human. It only makes sense that what heals one species could be dangerous to another."

The King paused to let the information sink in.

The King - "I hope that if you can believe a legend such as Earth Palm, that you'll also believe in the existence of Sirens."  
Morgan - "HAHAHA!" Morgan burst out laughing. "Very intriguing story my liege. I might use it to woo some ladies." His expression became serious. "But you have no proof. We have no reason to believe -"

Just then the doors burst open and Eduardo marched back in with an armful of maps.

Eduardo - "The King is telling the truth." He spread the maps on a table. "Siren's Cove exists."

Eduardo brought out the three pieces of the ancient Ullr map. He placed them together to make them whole and pointed at an island near the middle, right at the intersection of the torn edges. It was jagged like a star and surrounded by dots of smaller landmarks. There was writing over it that was almost illegible.

Eduardo - "This is Siren's Cove. It doesn't appear on any of these other maps that depict the Reiz empire. And this area over here." He pointed at a section just outside the border of Moldor. "It seemed familiar. The shoreline is completely wrong though, but this area used to be the land of the Ullr people, before Moldor invaded. I can't believe I didn't see it before." He ran his fingers through his hair, frustration written all over his face.

The King - "You have a map that old in your possession?" He came over to look at the map. "The crying…"  
Eduardo - "You can read Ullr script?"  
The King - "I'm only familiar with a few words. That being one of them because…"  
Eduardo - "It's the name the Ullr people gave to the island… where the sirens live. And where their treasure is. The Crying Island."  
Nathan - "Hold on. Yer people's treasure is in Siren's Cove? How can ya know that?"  
Eduardo - "It is rumoured that the Ullr treasure has never been found because it is protected by ancient magic. I never thought they would mean sirens."

Eduardo clenched his fists. This would be impossible. There was no way they could get near Siren's Cove. Nathan looked over at Alex, still asleep. All this hustle and bustle would've woken anyone up. There must be something else wrong with her, like the King said. He walked over to check on her. Christopher and Morgan were studying Eduardo who had begun to shake with rage. He had come this close to his goal only to be completely hindered - he looked up at Alex - by the likes of her.

Morgan - "So Alex is a siren… what does this have to do with her injury?" He asked the King. "You said it healed in a day?"

The King interlaced his fingers and thrummed them against the backs of his hands.

The King - "See, that's the perplexing part. Daniel revealed to my soldiers that he had somehow acquired the ancient poison, most likely from his client, and, unbeknownst to him, one of his men had laced his blade with it. And then he struck Alex across the chest. According to legend, the poison puts sirens into an eternal sleep. The only way that they could wake would be from the cries of other sirens, but even if they did wake they would be weak. And it would have to be quick, too, since the poison deteriorates the siren's body. That hasn't happened to Alex though. She's in perfect health, and her chest wound which should have taken days to heal is nothing but a thin line of a scar now."

Nathan took a knife out, startling everyone, and swiftly cut the front of Alex's shirt. He opened it without exposing her breasts. There on her chest was a thin white line, from the bottom of her breast to her collarbone.

Nathan - "She didn' 'ave that before we left."  
Christopher - "If she healed so quickly after the poison went into her system… And her body is perfectly fine… Was it the Earth Palm?" Christopher turned towards the King. "That would mean she's only part-siren. Part of her is human?"  
The King nodded slowly. "I came to that conclusion as well. Sirens do heal fast, and with the help of Earth Palm from the poison, her human side healed even faster… However, she has been asleep for the past two days. Nothing we did could wake her up."  
Nathan - "She'll be like this forever?"  
The King solemnly looked down. "It may be for the best… Sirens are enemies to seafarers such as yourselves."

Russell had been trying to hold back his rage. He knew Morgan didn't want him to be angry and uncouth in front of the King. But he couldn't take it anymore.

Russell - "She's not an enemy!" Everyone turned towards Russell in surprise. "She's a crewmate! She's one o' us. She never did any o' tha stuff those siren whores did in 'em fairy tales." He turned towards Morgan. "A siren's cry can wake 'er up right? That's what ya said!" He shot a look at the King then looked back at Morgan. "We gotta go to Siren's Cove, Cap."  
Eduardo - "Are you insane?" Eduardo was face-to-face with Russell in a flash. "Siren's Cove is ten times as dangerous as Skull Island! We'd never make it near there, and even if we did, we'd fall victim to the sirens."  
Russell - "Ain't tha' where ya treasure is? Ya just gonna give up on tha' so easily? And give up on Alex?" He vehemently pointed at her. Eduardo flinched as if in pain. "Ya wanna leave 'er like tha' forever?"  
Eduardo scowled. "So what? She isn't even human. We can drop her off in Yamato and be done with her. That was our deal."

Russell brought his fists up, about to rough up Eduardo, when Morgan stepped between them.

Morgan - "That's enough." The room was tense. One more slight movement would make everyone snap like the taught string of a violin. "I'm the captain of this crew. I'll decide what happens to Alex. You all need to cool off."

A maid scurried into the room, but paused when she reached the middle of it. She hesitated before getting everyone's attention. The room was brimming with tension.

Maid - "My liege!" She curtsied, her voice shaking. "Thomas has woken up."

The King immediately strode out of the room and motioned for everyone else to follow him. Once back in Thomas' room, everyone gathered around the bed.

Thomas - "... Wha's happenin'... Where am I?"  
Christopher - "Ah… You got a lot to catch up on Thomas." He put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair a bit. "I'm going to tend to Thomas." He said to Morgan.  
Morgan nodded. "Welcome back Thomas!" He grinned.  
Thomas - "... Where did I go?" He noticed the King had come to stand by his bed, beaming. "Oh! It's you!"  
The King - "We have a lot of catching up to do as well, son." The King turned towards the others. "I'm afraid I'll still have to keep you captive until Thomas has returned to full health. The guards will escort you down to the prison cells."

With some grumbling from Russell, he, Morgan, Eduardo, and Nathan all went down to the prison cells. Christopher stayed behind to continue to tend to Thomas. On their way to their own cell, they passed the cell that Daniel and his crew were in. They looked to be in rough shape. The crew glared at them as they walked past without a word. A few minutes later they were brought food and drink. Daniel's cell received nothing. They ate in silence. Nathan looked at the poorly cooked food they had been given. He just stared at it. He didn't have an appetite. He didn't know what to think. All he wanted was to eat Alex's steamed red bean bun. This prison food was horrible.

Nathan - "Cap… What are ya gonna do with Alex?"  
Morgan stopped eating and remained silent for a moment. "... I don't know."

Morgan knew that the crew was conflicted, especially Eduardo. This was a task beyond their abilities. The Sirius crew was indeed incredible, but even he knew they had limits. There were dark mysteries in the world that he would never go near, never want to reveal... Alex had decided to keep her dark secret to herself, and look where it landed her. He thought of his own past. He thought of how things were still unresolved between him and Alex. How frightened she was when he was so close to the truth. There would be no end to his guilt if he left her like this. He sighed. None of that would matter if he led his crew to their deaths at Siren's Cove. Was it too risky? Of course not, he would do anything to bring her back to life. But he couldn't make this decision based on his own desires, based on the fact that he could so easily forgive her because he knew exactly what she went through. He gritted his teeth.

Russell tossed his plate aside and it clattered on the floor, jolting everyone out of their thoughts. He sat angrily, one knee up with a hand gripping it. To him the decision was clear. He didn't understand how the Cap didn't know what to do. Never leave a man behind right? Er, woman, too, he supposed. He stared at Eduardo. That's our motto, innit?

Eduardo sat arms crossed and cross legged. He had returned to his frosty self, but inside he was an inferno. He couldn't believe how Alex kept her true self a secret like that. He entrusted her with his own secret and told her about his past, his lifelong goal, and she said nothing to him. What a bad girl. He thought he had trained her to be better than that to him. And she had become so great at following all his orders. Wasn't she afraid of him? His shoulders slouched and his expression softened. Of course she was afraid of him. That's why she didn't tell him. He remembered when she'd first come onto the boat and he'd constantly threaten to throw her overboard. Who knew what he would have done if he found out she was a harpy, an enemy to pirates and sailors? He had scared her into silence. It was his fault that she ended up like this. Gripping the side of his face with his eyepatch he scowled. He was a weak man for blaming everything on her.

* * *

Thomas had been caught up on the situation with Alex. He had visited her once he had the strength to, and he sat by her bed crying. He couldn't help but blame himself for her condition. If they had kept moving, maybe Daniel wouldn't have caught up with them. He felt so useless. He didn't even have the strength to convince her not to leave when she had confessed her secret to him. He was in a daze at the time, but at some point during the crew's trip to Skull Island, Alex had told him the truth of what happened on Daniel's ship. She must have thought that he couldn't hear her. She had cried and promised to leave once they were set free. She didn't want any more trouble for the Sirius crew. And she knew that someone like her could never travel around with pirates. She was a threat to them. Even in his hazy state he wanted desperately to tell her 'No! You belong with the Sirius crew. Things wouldn't be the same without you…'

Thomas - "You're… so important… to me." He sobbed the words out just as she did, even though she couldn't hear him.

It took less than a week for Thomas to fully recover, having received daily doses of Earth Palm from Christopher. The King fulfilled his end of the bargain and gave back the crew's freedom, as well as free lodging at the castle for saving his son. Thomas and the King had discussed his real upbringing, how he was meant to be a prince. Despite this incredible revelation, Thomas politely refused. He said that he had some business to take care of with the Sirius crew, but he would sure to be back someday, maybe even to stay for good.

The crew stood at the docks of Reiz. Alex had been brought on board and placed in Morgan's bed. They faced the King now.

The King - "Have you made your decision?"  
Morgan nodded. "I have."

The King didn't ask what he had decided, but simply nodded, a saddened look spreading across his face. Either way, it would be unpleasant. Christopher looked at Morgan. They hadn't talked about it this whole time. He knew there was no changing his mind. He crossed his arms and looked down at the planks of wood of the dock. He agreed with the Captain's decision, but he also knew that it wouldn't be what Alex would want them to do. He could just picture it, almost the same as when they were leaving for Skull Island. 'Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Don't risk your lives for me.'

The crew and the King bid their adieus and pushed off, heading for open waters.

Eduardo - "Captain… Where are we headed?"

Morgan stood at the prow of the boat, one foot on the lower railing, his elbow propped up on his knee.

Morgan - "We're going to Siren's Cove."


End file.
